Valkyrie: The end of Infinity
by Bluebox345
Summary: While answering a distress call Valkyrie learns that Xandar has been wiped out by Thanos. Devastated by her family's deaths, Val teams up with a stranger called Thor to get revenge on Thanos. The Guardians soon find out that the heroes don't always win. 3/3 in the Prison Reports Series.
1. Prologue

**Valkyrie: The End of Infinity**

 _ **Bluebox345**_

 **A/N:** This story will be updated on the second Saturday of each month. This fic will be a combination of both Avengers: Infinity War (part 1) and Avengers: Endgame (part 2) and will have a two month hiatus in-between posting each part. I picture Valkyrie to look a bit like Laura Bailey. Valkyrie's theme song is _Skyworld_ by _Two Steps From Hell_. I also have written stories for _Avengers_ , _Doctor Who_ , _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_ , _Guardians of the Galaxy_ , and _Torchwood_ if any are interested in those fandoms. By the way, I chose the name Valkyrie for my character before _Thor Ragnarok_ came out. She is in no way associated with the Valkyries on Asgard. You could read this story on it's own but I would suggest (in order to get background info) to read the first two stories of this series in order to understand previous actions and mentions.

I was going to post this in the Avenger's category, but names like Peter Quill weren't available for selection, so I am posting this in the Avengers/Guardians of the Galaxy cross-over section.

 **Summary:** While answering a distress call Valkyrie learns that Xandar has been wiped out by Thanos. Devastated by her family's deaths, Val teams up with a stranger called Thor to get revenge on Thanos. The Guardians soon find out that the heroes don't always win.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Marvel, Disney does. I only own my OC's (Ex: Valkyrie). I do not own the picture I used on the cover, I found it on google. This disclaimer extends through the entire story.

* * *

" _Before creation itself, there were six singularities. Then the universe exploded into existence and the remnants of these systems were forged into concentrated ingots. Infinity Stones. These stones, it seems, can only be brandished, by beings of extraordinary strength. The carriers can use this stone to mow down an entire civilizations like wheat in a field. Once for a moment, a group was able to share the energy among-st themselves but even they were quickly destroyed by it." - The Collector._

* * *

 **Part 1: Infinity War**

 **Prologue**

 _ **Xandar**_

Irani Rael, Valkyrie's adoptive mother of Valkyrie and leader of the Nova Corps walked with an air of confidence toward the vault that stored the Power Stone (the Infinity Stone that the Guardian's of the Galaxy had left the Nova Corp to protect) with a group of ten guards walking behind her. Men and women ran to and fro, not paying Rael any attention. From what little windows she passed by on her way down, she could see the chaos outside.

A fierce battle was taking place. Dark black ships zoomed in and out of buildings while gold star-like ships attacked with vigor. Screams from the city could be heard through the walls and black columns of smoke wafted up from collapsed buildings.

Thanos's forces had arrived for the Power stone.

Rael had a bad feeling about the stone when the Guardian's had handed it to her six years ago. She knew that the Guardian's defeat of Ronan would have triggered some response, but she had no idea that it would take this long for Thanos to take revenge. Now that it was here she wished for it to end.

They finally reached the door that was keeping the Power Stone safe… for the moment. "Spread out down this hallway. Defend it with your lives. Thanos must _not_ get this stone. It will be the end of Xandar."

She typed in the number key into the lock and the door slid open to reveal a darkened room with only a pedestal, about waist tall with a black orb which Rael knew contained the Power Stone. Rael sighed as she stared at the stone which was the cause of all the pain and suffering currently happening. Rael turned on the lights and closed the door. She stood in front of the the stone, took out her weapon, pointed it at the door and waited. She waited for about thirty minutes before she heard shouting and weapons firing. Rael steadied her breath as her nerves got to her as the sounds outside the door quieted.

The door blasted open and Rael ducked as the door flew over her head. As the dust cleared she sucked in her breath as her eyes laid upon a large, heavy, purple man with a golden gauntlet on his left hand with six spots on his knuckles was empty. "Nova Prime. Possessor of the Power Stone. Hand it over and I might spare your life."

"Never you mass murdering prick." Hissed Rael. She brought up her blaster and fired. The blast hit his armor and the blast absorbed in the armor, doing no damage whatsoever. Thanos smirked. Rael tightened her grip and fired multiple shots, all absorbed on his armor.

Thanos sighed in amusement and shook his head, "They all try... but in the end they always fail." He brought up his left hand that held the gauntlet and back-handed Rael. She flew into the wall with such a force that the cracking of bone could be heard. She dropped to the floor and rolled to a stop, not getting up.

Rael's vision grew blurry and knew that she was dying and had lost. That her planet would be destroyed. She slowly moved her right hand to her pocket, taking out her long range communicator. She was able to type out the first two words in her message but then a large purple foot stepped on her hand, causing the communicator to drop.

Thanos appeared in her vision, carrying the orb with his right hand. He tutted and shook his head, "So valiant. All for nothing." He squeezed his hand and the orb shattered. Thanos smiled evilly as he held the Power Stone in his right hand. He slowly moved it to his gauntlet which magically sucked it into the first stone hold. He tensed in pain but shook it off. "You've failed."

"You'll lose." Rael whispered knowing that the Guardians were still out there, along with her daughter. They had a chance.

Thanos leaned down, holding Rael's head in his right hand and whispered back, "No, I've already won." And punched Rael in the face with the gauntlet which now housed one Infinity Stone. Irani Rael's body disintegrated and black ash fell to the floor in her place.

* * *

 _ **Milano**_

Valkyrie woke from her sleep with a startled scream. The scream died in her throat as she realized that she was safe aboard the Milano. She didn't remember what she was dreaming other than her fear. She had been dreaming the same type of dreams for over two weeks now. She never remembered her dreams but she always woke up afraid and screaming. Her body was exhausted from the lack of sleep and dark bags were under her eyelids. Val breathed out and wiped her sweaty brown hair out of her face and into a ponytail. She sighed and whispered, "Damn it. Just one night, please."

She put on her bathrobe and headed toward the middle of the ship where food and drinks were. An hour later saw Val sitting in a chair nursing a glass of alcohol while staring out into the vast expanse of space. It was quiet on the ship, everyone being asleep and not arguing for once. The Milano was on autopilot, the ship would alert them if they were in danger.

She sighed and took another sip. "You're up late." Valkyrie almost spilled what was left in her glass as she looked up at Gamora who had on her regular black outfit.

"For Nova's sake." Val said putting a hand over her heart, "Don't do that."

Gamora took the seat adjacent to her, "Nope. Never gonna stop. You're too easy to mess with."

Valkyrie sighed and took another swig, "Eh. Right now I'm not going to make a fuss about it."

"Aww." Gamora said in a teasing voice, "You're no fun when you don't fight back. So, same dream?"

Gamora was the only one in the ship to notice Valkyrie's current sleeping situation. Val guessed it was because they were the only females. Males were notoriously known to be unobservant, "Yeah." Another sip, "Same shit. I go to sleep and wake up and don't remember a single think except intense fear." One more sip, "I think it's a warning."

Gamora sighed and leaned forward, placing her elbows on her knees and her chin rested on the palms of her hands, "To be honest, I'm surprised it's taken you this long for something like this to happen. We've gone through some terrible times. You just have to sort it out."

Valkyrie looked at Gamora then back at the top of her glass, "How do you do it?"

Gamora leaned back in her chair, her arms dropping to the side, "I've just learned to hid it better."

Valkyrie closed her eyes, "I thought you might say that." They stayed silent for some time after until a loud beeping came from the cockpit, "Ugg." Val rubbed her right temple, "Turn it off."

Gamora got up out of her seat and rushed to the cockpit with Valkyrie stumbling not far behind. Gamora pressed a couple of buttons and sent the alarm through the rest of the ship, alerting the other Guardian's. "It's a distress signal. You should take a anti-drunk pill and get changed. Someone needs our help."

Valkyrie stumbled to her quarters as she was told not knowing that in less than a hour her world would crumble down around her.

* * *

 **Posted: January 12th, 2019.**


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1- The Beginning of the End**

Valkyrie walked back into the front of the ship to the tune of Rubberband Man. Earth had some weird songs. She saw that Peter was sitting in his chair, singing and dancing along to the song. "Sing it Drax!" He bellowed.

Drax's head was tilted back, unmoving and from the snor that emanated from his area, asleep as well. Considering that the alert had awoken everyone in the middle of the night shift, everyone except for her and Gamora, she wasn't surprised.

Rocket yaned briefly, "Why are we doing this again?"

"It's a distress signal, Rocket." Gamora stated, annoyed, "Someone could be dying."

"I get that, but why are we doing it?"

"'Cause we're nice." Peter responded, "And maybe whoever it is will give us a little cheddar cheese for our help."

"Which isn't the point." Gamora pointed out.

Ugg. They were arguing again. Valkyrie thought to herself as she rubbed her head in annoyance.

Peter pointed at Gamora, "Which isn't the point…I mean… If he doesn't pony up…."

Rocket nodded along with what Peter was saying, "We'll take his ship."

"B-b-b-bingo!" Peter laughed.

Mantis, from her chair, adjusted a couple of buttons on the ship, "We are arriving."

"All right, Guardians. Don't forget, this might be dangerous, so let's put on our mean faces." Peter reminded everyone. He looked back at Groot who was playing a video game, "Groot, put that thing away." Groot doesn't move, "Now. I don't wanna tell you again." Still nothing, "Groot."

"I am Groot!" Groot, who is the Groot equivalent of a pissed off teenager, mocked.

Peter's eyes widened and reeled back a bit, "Whoa!"

"Language!" Rocket quipped.

"Hey!" Valkyrie exclaimed, waking Groot softly upside the head. "What have we discussed about manners?"

"Wow." Drax, who was now awake, whistled.

"You got some acorns on you, kid." Peter

Rocket huffed, "Ever since you got your little sap, you're a total d-hole. Keep it up, and I'm gonna smash that thing to pieces!"

Groot rolls his eyes. As Rocket finishes what he is saying, the Milano came out of hyperspace to reveal a graveyard. Valkyrie's eyes widened. They were too late.

People drifted through the vastness of space, cold and lifeless. Debris from the ship littered this sector. What looked like half of the ship was still intact, but barely. If there were any more people inside that ship, they would be dead by now.

"What happened?" Mantis breathed. The entire crew had gone early silent, a stark contrast from the playful arguing before.

"Looks like we're not getting paid." Rocket said, trying to make a joke. No one laughed.

As soon as Rocket stated that, a body slammed onto the hull of the ship.

"Wipers! Wipers! Get it off." Rocket cried, waving his hands to make the form of a windshield wiper. The body's eyes opened and everyone gave a startled yelp.

Valkyrie's eyes widened, "Get him inside." She commanded.

Peter glanced at her, and with one look from Val, he sighed and stood up. "Rocket, you're with me."

* * *

The person who had slammed into their windshield, was the equivalent of a bodybuilder on Xandar. It took Gamora, Quill, Groot and Drax to carry him from the air duct to the table in their designated 'living room.' Everyone now sat staring at the hunk of a man, breathing heavily from their task. "How the hell is this dude still alive?" Peter asked.

Drax shook his head, "He is not a dude. You're a dude. This... This is a man. A handsome, muscular man."

Peter, a bit jealousy, stated, "I'm muscular."

Rocket snorted in response, "Who are you kidding, Quill? You're one sandwich away from fat." Rocket pointed to his stomach area.

"Yeah, right." Peter scoffed.

"It's true." Drax motioned to Peter's chin and belly, "You have gained a little weight…."

Peter stared at Drax in disbelief, then turned toward Gamora, his girlfriend, "What? Gamora, do you think I'm…." Gamora bit her lip and hesitated to answer.

Matis interrupted at this point, her fingers on the unconscious man's temples, "He is anxious. Angry. He feels tremendous loss and guilt."

"Probably because of whoever attacked his ship left none alive except him." Valkyrie spoke up, commenting on Mantis's findings.

"It's like a pirate had a baby with an angel." Drax commented.

"Wow." Peter sniffed, "This is a real wake-up call for me. Okay. I'm gonna get a Bowflex. I'm gonna commit. I'm gonna get some dumbbells."

Rocket looked at Peter quizzitively, "You know you can't eat dumbbells, right?"

Gamor made her way over to the table and was now rubbing her hand over the man's huge muscles, "It's like his muscles are made of Cotati metal fibers." Gamora practically purred.

"Stop … massaging his muscles." Peter couldn't believe his girlfriend was sizing up another man. Peter turned toward Mantis and ordered, "Wake him up."

"Wake." Mantis commanded.

The man awakens, frightening Mantis. He scrambled off of the table and put his back to the opposite wall, immediately going into defense position, trying to assess his situation.

"Who the hell are you guys?" His stated, a bit of roughness to his voice.

Valkyrie put her hands up in the universal 'do not attack' position, "It's okay. We're not going to hurt you. We received your distress signal. What's your name?"

"Thor." Thor responded, still breathing hard. "And Thanos happened. He came after one of the infinity stones. And killed whoever stood in his way."

Valkyrie, Peter and Gamora shared a glance, "I'm sorry about your people." Valkyrie stated quietly. "And I'm sorry we couldn't get here sooner."

Thor looked at her with a soft half-smile, "If you had arrived sooner, you would have been killed as well. I doubt your little group has enough firepower to take out Thanos. Though I accept your apologies, My lady-" Thor trailed off, obviously waiting for a name.

Valkyrie pressed her lips together, trying to figure out of that was an apology or an insult, "Valkyrie."

Thor's demeanor changed into that of happiness, "A Valkyrie." He breathed, "Are you, by any chance, an Asgardian?"

Valkyrie frowned, "I'm sorry. I don't know. My father was a celestial but I'm not sure about my mother. It's probably not possible. Anyway, what's a Valkyrie?"

Thor deflated upon the news, "The Valkyries were a group of fierce women who served and protected Asgard, led by my father, King Odin. At first they were just a myth, but then events happened and I found out that they were all, except one, killed trying to defeat my sister, Hella. If another survived…" He trailed off, "But you said that's unlikely."

Valkyrie was mind blown about the family drama he was explaining, " I never said that." She stated quickly. She saw how much his tone had changed once he thought she was part of his race. "I said _probably_ not possible."

Peter stepped in between them, making a 'T' out of his arms to signal a time out. "Hold your horses." Peter leaned in to Valkyrie, "Your sure you want to give this guy your whole life story?"

Valkyrie sighed, "He was just attacked by Thanos, Peter. I doubt he has any intention to lie to us."

Gamor came over to the huddle, "We should also find out if he knows anymore about Thanos."

At that Valkyrie glanced to Gamora, "Hey, you okay?"

"Fine." She snapped. Valkyrie sighed, Gamora was obviously uncomfortable with talk about her step-father.

"We should let him rest and feed him first before continuing the interrogation, don't you think?" Valkyrie asked, "A little nicety goes a long way."

* * *

Half an hour later, Thor was sitting on a stool with a grey blanket draped over his shoulders that went only down to his waist. Thor had explained what had happened to his home planet and had gotten to the point where Thanos had arrived before he was interrupted by Gamora.

"The entire time I knew Thanos, he only ever had one goal: To bring balance to the Universe by wiping out half of all life. He used to kill people planet by planet, massacre by massacre…."

"Including my own." Drax chimed in.

Gamora continued, as if Drax didn't say anything. "If he gets all six Infinity Stones, he can do it with the snap of his fingers, like this." Gamora snapped her fingers to demonstrate.

"You seem to know a great deal about Thanos." Thor observed.

"Gamora…" Drax contributed, "Is the daughter of Thanos."

Thor stood up with a dark glare at Gamora, "Your father killed my brother."

Valkyrie saw Peter's eyes widened and stepped forward, trying to defuse the situation, "Oh, boy. Stepfather. Technically, she hates him as much as you do." He said in a fast tone, hoping that Thor believed him.

At that admission, Thor softened a bit, "Families can be tough. Look. Before my father died, he told me I had a half-sister...that he imprisoned in Hel. Then she returned home, and stabbed me in the eye, so... I had to kill her. It's life, isn't it, I guess. Goes round and round and... I feel your pain."

~ _Flashback~_

"This is the Asgardian refugee vessel Statesman! We are under assault, I repeat, we are under assault - The engines are dead, life support failing! Requesting aid from any vessel within range…We are 22 jump points out of Asgard. Our crew is made up of Asgardian families, we have very few soldiers here! This is not a war craft, I repeat, this is not a war craft!" Loki's voice cut through the Asgardian radio transmission in a desperate plea for help. Normally Loki was loath to ask for help, especially of someone unknown, but this… this was an exception. He wasn't ready to face Thanos again.

Then again, the universe never did give him what he wanted.

* * *

Inside the ship, Ebony Maw walked among the bodies of dead Asgardians. He stepped over them as he speaks with no mind, as if they were scattered pieces of dirty clothing on a bedroom floor. "Hear me, and rejoice. You have had the privilege of being saved by the Great Titan. You may think this is suffering. No...It is salvation. Universal scales tip toward balance because of your sacrifice. Smile...For even in death, you have become Children of Thanos."

Loki was surrounded by three the three members of the Black Order. He stared defiantly at Thanos.

Thanos was standing at army 'rest' position, staring out of the huge window of the Statesman. "I know what it's like to lose." Thanos started his speech and turned around to Thor, who was forced to kneel, "To feel so desperately that you're right... yet to fail, nonetheless." He grabbed Thor by the head and squeezed. Thor, against his will, let out a cry of pain. "It's frightening. Turns the legs to jelly. I ask you, to what end? Dread it. Run from it. Destiny arrives all the same. And now, it's here. Or should I say… I AM." Thanos holds up his hand to reveal the Infinity Gauntlet, which already hosts the Power Stone.

Thor spit blood from his mouth, breathing hard, "You talk too much."

"The Tesseract," Thanos turned his gaze to Loki, "Or your brother's head. I assume you have a preference."

"Oh, I do. Kill away!" Loki stated in the most posh and annoying manner he could muster in the moment.

Thanos set the gauntlet on Thor's temple. The power stone glowed brightly and Thor roared in pain.

Loki cringed at his brother's screams and looked away from his brother's pain. "ALRIGHT, STOP!" He shouted, unable to bare the screams any longer.

"We don't have the Tesseract." Thor breathed, "It was destroyed on Asgard." He stated in a defeated tone.

Loki glanced at Thor. Oh how he wished that was the case. Right now, he cursed his sticky fingers as he lifted his right hand into the air and the Tesseract faded into view.

"You really are the worst, brother." Thor breathed, glaring at him.

Loki held out the Tesseract to Thanos and advanced forward, "I assure you, brother, the Sun will shine on us again."

"Your optimism is misplaced, Asgardian." Thanos stated.

"Well, for one thing: I'm not Asgardian. And for another... We have a Hulk." Loki dived out of the way as the Hulk emerged and fought with Thanos. Punches are exchanged and Thanos is forced into the wall of the ship.

Maw stops the Black Dwarf from interfering by putting her hand in front of him, "Let him have his fun."

In about a minuet of fighting, Thanos defeats Hulk and dumps him to the ground. Thor tries to interfere but Ebony Maw binds him to the ground.

"Allfathers…" Heimdall croaked, "Let the dark magic flow through me one last... time." He whispered, extending his hand out to summon the Bifrost which gathers the unconscious form of the Hulk out of the Statesman,

Thanos walked over to where Heimdall was lying and growled, "That was a mistake." He took a spear and stabbed Heimdall through the heart.

Thors grief stricken scream could be heard echoing around the ship as Heimdall took his last breath.

* * *

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* * *

 **Posted: February 9th, 2019.**

 **Next Update: March 9th, 2019.**


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Lost Home**

 _~ Still in the Flashback~_

"NO!" Thor yelled in shock and denial as his brother in all but blood dropped to the floor, dead. "You're going to die for that!"

Ebony Maw shuts Thor's mouth with a mouth bracer. "Shhhh." He held onto the Tesseract and went down to one knee. He lifted the Tesseract up to Thanos, "My humble personage… bows before your grandeur. No other being has ever had the might, nay the nobility, to wield not one, but two Infinity Stones. The universe lies within your grasp."

Dramatically, Thanos picks up the Tesseract and crushes it, revealing the Space Stone hidden inside. He holds the space stone, tiny compared to his size, and it zooms into his gauntlet, "There are two more Stones on Earth. Find them, my children, and bring them to me on Titan." He commanded.

"Father, we will not fail you." Proxima Midnight bowed her head in response.

"If I might, interject…" Loki stepped forward, a little cocky, "If you're going to Earth, you might want a guide. I do have a bit of experience in that arena."

Thanos huffed and frowned, "If you consider failure experience…."

Loki snapped back, "I consider experience, experience." He hesitated then began, "Almighty Thanos. I, Loki, Prince of Asgard…" Loki turned and glanced at Thor… no. At his brother, "Odinson... The rightful King of Jotunheim, God of Mischief, do hereby pledge to you, my undying fidelity."

Thor squinted and noticed a dagger in Loki's hand. Loki attempted to stab Thanos, but Thanos is ready for the attack and grabs Loki by the neck.

"'Undying.'" Thanos snorted, "You should choose your words more carefully." He hissed. Thanos tightened his hold around Loki's neck. He makes eye contact with Thor before he increases his force on Loki's neck.

Loki realized that he couldn't compete with the mad titan and gave up struggling, "You… will never be… a god." He forced out. Thanos snapped Loki's neck, killing him.

Thanos tossed Loki to the side, like he was no different than a piece of trash, "No resurrections this time." He rumbled. Without a glance in Thor's direction he teleported away with the Black Order.

Ebony Maw's mouth clasp fell to the ground along with the restraints. Thor, devastated by his brothers death, crawled over the dead bodies of his fellow Asgardians to lie over his dead brother.

"No… Loki…." He sobbed as the ship exploded, sending him unconscious with. His last conscious thought was of his brother.

 _~ End of Flashback~_

* * *

"And I feel your pain, as well." Peter stated, trying to look more manly in front of his crew. "I mean it's not a competition, but I've been through a lot. My father killed my mother, then I had to kill my father. And that was hard. Probably even harder than having to kill a sister." Peter glanced at Valkyrie to see her glaring at him, "Which I would never do. Plus, I, came out of it with both of my eyes-"

Thor shook his head and stated, "I need a hammer, not a spoon…" Thor attempted to fiddle with machinery attached to one of the escape pods, "How do I open this thing? Is there some sort of a four-digit code maybe…. Maybe a birth date or something…."

"What are you doing?" Peter asked, concerned with how he was fiddling with _his_ ship.

"Taking your pod." Thor stated bluntly.

"No, you're not!" Peter then tried to mimic Thor's accent, "You'll not, be taking our pod today, sir."

Rocket looked at Peter with puzzlement, "Quill. Are you making your voice deeper?"

Peter shook his head, "No."

Drax nodded, "You are. You're imitating the god-man. It's weird."

"No I'm not."

Mantis pointed at Peter, "He just did it again!"

"For Nova's sake, Peter, just stop." Valkyrie but in. She sighed as her half-brother made a fool out of himself, as usual.

Still trying to hold up his voice change, Peter stated, "This is my voice!"

Thor finally noticed what was going on and stepped closer to Peter, "Are you mocking me?"

"Are you mocking me?" Peter mocked Thor.

Thor growled, "Stop it. You did it again."

Peter pointed, "See, he's trying to copy me."

"Would you stop doing that? He's doing it first." Thor said, getting very annoyed at this Earthling.

"Enough!" Gamora shouted, bringing a brief end to Peter and Thor's pissing contest, "We need to stop Thanos. Which means we need to find out where he's going next."

"Knowhere."

Mantis shook her head, "He must be going somewhere."

"No. Knowhere? It's a place. We've been there. It sucks." Peter explained then hurriedly he stepped closer to Thor, "Excuse me, that's our food." He said to Thor as he rummaged through the food stores.

"Not anymore."

"Thor… Why would he go to Knowhere?" Valkyrie asked gently, trying to get rid of the testosterone in the room.

Thor looked at her, "Because for years, the Reality Stone has been safely stored, there with a man we call the Collector."

Valkyrie shook her head, "If it's with the Collector, then it's not safe. Only an idiot would give that man a stone. I've met him once. He's an ass."

"Or a genius." Thor stated.

"How do you know he's not going for one of the other Stones?" Gamora asked.

"There's six stones out there. Thanos already has the Power Stone because he stole it last week, when he decimated Xandar. He stole the Space Stone from me when he destroyed my ship and slaughtered half my people. The Time and Mind Stones are safe on Earth. They're with the Avengers." Thor explained.

Valkyrie felt sick and she asked in a faraway voice, "Wait, What…. What happened to Xandar?"

Everyone else froze as they went back over what Thor had said. Then the temperature in the room seemed to drop ten degrees. "Val." Peter started.

Valkyrie snapped at Peter, "No. Shut up." She turned to Thor and said in the most menacing voice she had, "Answer me very carefully. What the hell happened to Xandar?"

Thor noticed the tone in her voice and the tension in the others that had rescued him, "It happened two weeks ago. Thanos made a grab for the Power Stone." Thor sighed, "He destroyed Xandar. There's nothing left. I'm sorry. If it's in any consolation, they gave him a good fight and I'm sure died honorably."

Valkyrie breathed out and her ears buzzed. Her family. Nova Prime, her mother. Her adopted brother Landon and his family. Her little baby cousin. Gone. Dead. Destroyed by Thanos.

"Val, you alright?" Peter's voice filtered through and he put a hand on her shoulder. Bad mistake. She turned around and punched Peter across the face.

Peter, bent over from the force of the hit, held his hand to his left cheek, "Val! What the fuck!"

"Leave me the hell alone." She stopped off to her room, ignoring the concerned calls of Mantis, Gamora and Drax behind her. Her family was dead and she was alone.

* * *

Peter turned to Thor, "Nice going." He stated sarcastically, "Next time, be more sensitive."

"I do not understand. They died defending their home. There is no more honor in the world than that."

"Yeah, well, just word it differently this time." Gamora snapped and stalked off after Valkyrie.

Peter threw up his hands, "Gamora!" She disappeared around the corner and he sighed, "Women."

* * *

Valkyrie sat on her bed in the ship, her hands resting on her head as she sobbed. She must have known something was up. She connected the dots and realized that her nightmares had begun around the time Thor said Xandar was…. She couldn't even finish the sentence.

Someone knocked on the door, "Kyrie, it's me." It was Gamora. She only used that nickname when they were alone and needed girl time. She didn't respond and the door opened anyway. "Oh Kyrie." Gamora stated as she sat down next to her and wrapped her arms around her, "I'm sorry."

"They're gone. All gone…. My home." Val got out.

"I know. They didn't deserve that fate."

"Thor said… he said that Thanos came for the Power Stone. The stone we had and handed over…." She trailed off, her eyes widening. It was her fault. It was the Guardians of the Galaxy who had asked Xandar to watch over the stone.

Gamora's arms tensed around Valkyrie as Gamora realized were her thoughts were going with this, "Valkyrie, no. It's not our fault and definitely not yours."

She breathed out, "Thanos is going to pay for what he has done."

"And he will." Gamora stated, "We'll make sure of it."

Valkyrie pushed Gamora's arms away and stood up, "Yes. He'll pay. And Thor will help me do it."

Gamora shot up from the bed, "Whao, Kyrie. Not so fast. Think about this first."

Valkyrie began to race around her room, throwing things and weapons into her messenger bag, "He's out for revenge. And I'm going to join him." She threw on a jean jacket and slung her brown messenger bag over her shoulder and clipped on her gun belt which was full. Two hand guns, Xandarian make as well as the back strip for ammunition. "This son of a bitch will pay."

* * *

Valkyrie stalked into the main area where the rest of the Guardians and Thor were waiting. Peter was asking Thor, "Earlier you mentioned something about an Avengers?"

"Ah, yes. They're Earth's Mightiest Heroes." Thor responded.

Mantis tilted her head, "Like Kevin Bacon?"

Thor stared at Mantis, "...He may be on the team. I don't know. Haven't been there in a while. As for the Soul Stone, well, no one's ever seen that. No one even knows where it is. Therefore, Thanos can't get it. Therefore, he's going to Knowhere. Hence, he'll be getting the Reality Stone. You're welcome."

"Then we have to go to Knowhere now." Gamora stated, bringing everyone's attention to her and Valkyrie.

"Uh, Val," Peter began but hesitated when he saw her pissed/determined look. He still spoke anyway, "Why are you dressed like that?"

"Cause Thor here is going to help me kill Thanos."

Peter's eyes widened at that and he began to panic, "What? No! At least, not alone you aren't."

"You don't get to tell me what I can and can't do." Valkyrie snapped, "Thor." She stated harsly and he turned his head tentatively toward her, "Where do we go next?"

Thor cleared his throat, "Where- where we have to go, is Nivadellir."

Drax shook his head, "That's a made up word."

"All words are made up." Thor stated.

"Nidavellir is real?" Rocket asked, eyes shining in excitement as he climbed up onto the table, "Seriously? I mean, that place is a legend. They make the most powerful, horrific weapons to ever torment the Universe. I would very much like to go there, please." He begged, folding his paws together as if he was praying.

Thor nodded, "The rabbit is correct, and clearly the smartest among you."

"Rabbit?"

Thor continued as if he didn't hear Rocket's comment, "Only Eitri the dwarf king can make me the weapon I need." He turned to Rocket, "I assume you're the captain, sir"

Rocket nodded, "You're very perceptive."

"You seem like a noble leader. Will you join me on my quest to Nivadellir?"

"Lemme just ask the captain. Wait a second, it's me! Yeah, I'll go."

"Wonderful."

"Except that I'm the captain." Peter stepped forward, protesting Rocket's takeover.

"Quiet!" Rocket snapped back at Peter.

Valkyrie stepped forward, "Count me in. Thanos killed my people. My family. He will pay."

"Valkyrie, are you sure that's a good idea… and that's my backpack!" Peter protest as Rocket snatched it.

"Quill, sit down." Rocket said, then to Valkyrie, "You may come." Rocket pointed to Peter. "He may not."

"Look, this is my ship." Peter stated to Thor, "And I'm not going to… Wait, what kind of weapon are we talking about here?"

Thor grinned, "The Thanos killing kind."

Valkyrie smirked, "I am loving this plan."

"Don't you think that we should all have a weapon like that?" Peter asked.

Thor shook his head, "No. You simply lack the strength to wield them. Your bodies will crumble as your minds collapse into the madness."

"Is it weird that I wanna do it even more now?" Rocket asked.

"A little bit." Thor nodded, "Yeah."

"If we don't go to Knowhere and Thanos retrieves another stone, he'll be too powerful to stop." Gamora stated.

Thor turned to her, "He already is."

"I got it figured out." Rocket explained, "We got two ships, and a large assortment of morons. So me and Groot will go with the pirate-angel here, and the morons will go to Knowhere to try and stop Thanos. Cool? Cool."

"So cool." Thor replied.

"For the record… I know that you're only going with him because it's where Thanos isn't." Peter said to Rocket.

"You know, Quill, you shouldn't talk that way to your captain." He entered the pod, "Come on, Groot. Put that game down. You'll rot your brain."

Teenage Groot responded with "I am Groot." And Groot stepped into the escape pod.

Valkyrie stopped by the pod and looked at Peter who had grabbed her by the arm, "You know why I have to do this. It's the same reason why you stopped Ego. Let me go." Then softer, "Please."

Peter sighed, "I know what family means and I know what it's like to lose it all. But... just remember that I'm your family too."

Valkyrie pressed her lips together, "Goodbye Peter." She stepped forward as if to go in for a hug, but at the last minute decided against it and turned her back on the Guardians and ducked into the escape pod.

Thor was the last one on the ship and he turned around to say, "I bid you farewell and good luck, morons. Bye." He ducked into the escape pod and Valkyrie pressed the control that closed the door with a quiet hiss.

* * *

 **Reviews:**

 _ **GhostBuster30:**_ Maybe he will and maybe he won't….

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* * *

 **Posted: March 9th, 2019.**

 **Next Update: April 13th, 2019.**


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Avenge / Revenge**

 _~ Flashback_ ~

An alien planet was under attack by Thano's army. Young Gamora and her mother hid from the massacre in a shambled house. Gamora's mother held her daughter close, as if that would protect her daughter from any harm.

"Shhh. We'll be safe." Gamora's mother whispered soothingly in her ear, "We'll be safe."

Gamora screeches at the sound of footsteps behind the house and a Child of Thanos finds them and separates them.

"Zehobereans…." Ebony Maw hissed.

Young Gamora shouted and struggled against her captor, "Mother!" She yelled.

"Choose a side, or die." Ebony Maw commanded.

Still struggling, Young Gamora yelled, "Mother!" She pulled away from soldier that is dragging her and punches him as he leaves.

"One side, for reservation. The other, an honor…." Ebony Maw continues, not fazed in the slightest to the atrocities happening around him.

Young Gamora saw a tall, strong purple man standing and looking around in all the chaos. She approaches Thanos, desperate to find her mother.

"What's wrong, little one?"

Young Gamora looked up to him, "My mother. Where is my mother?"

Thanos knelt down to inspect this brave young girl, "What's your name?"

"Gamora."

Thanos gave Young Gamora a smile, "You're quite the fighter, Gamora. Come. Let me help you." Thanos took her hand and led her to a pavilion, where he produced a small red-jeweled dagger. "Look. Pretty, isn't it?" He held it out, balancing it on his finger, "Perfectly balanced. As all things should be. Too much to one side, or the other… Here. You try." He handed the dagger to Young Gamora who was enamored with the gift.

"Now go in peace, and meet your Maker." Ebony Maw clasped his hands in front of him as his order was carried out. One half of the crowd is shot down. As they screamed, Young Gamora turned slightly, but Thanos puts an hand on her head, turning her attention back to him and preventing her from seeing the massacre of her people.

"Concentrate. There! You've got it."

 _~ End of Flashback_ ~

 _ **Milano**_

"Gamora. Do you know if these grenades are the "blow off your junk" kind or the gas kind? 'Cause I was thinking I might hang a couple on my belt right here. But I don't want to-" Peter rambled until his girl cut him off mid-sentence.

"I need to ask a favor." Gamora cut in. The pair were standing in the hallway to the cockpit of the ship, still trying to make sense of what the hell just happened.

Peter stopped and swallowed, "Yeah, sure."

Gamora gave Peter a knowing look, "One way or another, the path that we're on leads to Thanos."

"Which is what the grenades are for." Peter said. Gamora silenced him with a look, "I'm sorry. What's the favor?"

"If things go wrong…" Gamora swallowed and continued, "If Thanos gets me… I want you to promise me… you'll kill me."

Peter froze, "What?"

Gamora sighed, "I know something he doesn't. If he finds out… The entire Universe could be at risk."

Peter looked at his girlfriend with concern, "What do you know?"

"If I tell you, you'd know, too."

"If it's so important, shouldn't I?" Peter tried to reason with her.

Gamora shook her head, "Only if you wanna die."

Peter threw his hands up in the air, "Why does somebody always have to die in this scenario?"

Gamora rolled her eyes at Peter's antics. She knew that he was upset with his sister joining up with Thor, "Just… trust me. And possibly, kill me."

"I mean, I'd like to. I really would…"

Gamora silenced him by covering his mouth with her hand, "Swear to me. Swear to me on your mother"

Peter stared into his girlfriend's terrified eyes. After a beat he responded with, "Okay."

The two kiss, until an odd crunching sound startles them. Peter and Gamora look over to see Drax eating a snack bag. Peter's eyes widened and groaned, exasperated, "Dude! How long have you been standing there?"

"An hour." Drax responded.

Peter's eyes bugged out, "An hour? Are you serious?"

Drax nodded solemnly, "I've mastered the ability, of standing so incredibly still… That I've become invisible to the eye. Watch." Drax stands motionless- until he eats more of his snack.

Peter blinked, confused, "You're eating a Zark Nut."

"But my movement… So slow… And it's imperceptible." He continued to eat the Zark Nut.

"No." Peter and Gamora shake their head.

"I'm sure I'm invisible."

Mantis suddenly walked up behind Drax and stated, "Hi, Drax."

Drax gave out a dejected sigh, "Damn it."

* * *

Peter was getting ready in his room, strapping on his weapons belt when there was a knock on his door, "Come in." He called.

The door opened and Gamora walked inside. She closed it after a couple of seconds, "How are you?" She asked.

Peter blinked, "Shouldn't I be asking you that. I mean, you're dad's trying to take over the universe."

Gamora sighed, "I'm talking about Valkyrie leaving like that."

Peter's shoulders slumped, "I guess… I'd just hopped that she'd stay, you know. I mean, I thought we were her family." Peter's voice grew louder as he ranted to Gamora, "I'm her brother for god's sake. She should be with me!" He yelled the last part in frustration.

Gamora went over and sat down on Peter's bed and pulled him down next to him, "Peter, she's hurting. Her entire planet and family got destroyed by Thanos."

"I'm still here." Peter mumbled but stopped as Gamora gave him a look.

"Just let her vent. When she's ready, she'll be back."

* * *

 _ **Knowhere**_

Peter, Gamora, Dax and Mantis had walked off the ship and were walking around a deserted Knowhere, "I'm reading movement." Drax stated, staring at, what looked to be, a space ipad, "From the third quadrant."

"Yep. I'm picking that up, too." Peter stated, looking at another device, "Let's put it down right here."

The group entered the Collector's collection room, which they had previously been in a couple of years ago when they had tried to sell the Power Stone to him, which is in ruin. Thanos is threatening the Collector, who is on the ground, trying to get away from him.

The remaining Guardian's hid behind the rubble.

"Everyone in the Galaxy knows you'd sell your own brother if you thought it would add the slightest trinket to your pathetic collection. I know you have the Reality Stone. Giving it to me will spare you a great deal of suffering." Thanos interrogated the collector.

"I told you." The collector sobbed, his arms out, pleading with Thanos to spare his life, "I sold it. Why would I lie?"

"I imagine it's like breathing for you."

"Like suicide."

"So you do understand." Thanos stated, "Not even you would surrender something so precious."

The collector shook his head vehemently, "I didn't know what it was."

"Then you're more of a fool than I took you for. Last chance, Tivan. Where's. The. Stone?" Thanos growled out at the Collector.

"Today…" Drax began, his face in a murderous rage at seeing his adversary after so long.

Peter noticed his look and immediately tried to calm him down, "Drax. Drax."

"...he pays for the deaths of my wife and daughter." Drax continued, seemingly not hearing Peter's pleads for him to wait.

"Drax, wait! not yet, not yet, not yet." Peter pleaded with Drax, "He doesn't have the Stone yet. We get it, and then we can stop him. We have to get the Stone first. Yeah."

Drax shook his head, his mind made up, "No. No. For Ovette. For Camaria."

While this was happening, Mantis had snuck up behind Drax and put her hands on his temples, "Sleep." Drax falls unconscious, making enough noise to alert Thanos.

"Okay. Gamora, Mantis, you go right. I'm…" Peter trails off as he noticed Gamora moving towards Thanos, not paying attention to his orders. He sighed, "The other right!"

Gamora seemingly surprise attacked Thanos, stabbing him twice and appearing to killing him.

"Why?" Thanos looked up to his daughter, with the small red-jeweled dagger in his chest, the same one he had given her when they had first met. Thanos shook his head, seemingly in disbelief, "Why you? Daughter…" he falls down, holding his hand out to her, blood pooling out from his neck wound. Gamora breaks down in tears.

The rest of the group stood up from their hiding positions, shocked at the events, "That was quick." Peter quipped.

The Collector stood up and began clapping, drawing everyone's attention to him, "Magnificent! Magnificent! Magnificent!"

Suddenly, Thano's disembodied voice fills the room, and the scene disappears- everything is leveled, and Thanos is more than alive. He has the Reality Stone in the Infinity Gauntlet. The Guardian's pull out their weapons and train them on Thanos.

"Is it sadness I sense in you, daughter?" Thanos asked, walking slowly toward Gamora, "In my heart, I knew you still cared. But one ever knows for sure. Reality is often disappointing. That is, it was. Now… Reality can be whatever I want."

Gamora shook her head in disbelief and self hatred for underestimating him, "You knew I'd come."

Thanos smiled, "I counted on it. There's something we need to discuss, little one."

Drax, now awake, used this time to run at Thanos and screamed his name, "Thanos!"

With a flick of his hand, both Drax and Mantis are put out of the fight. Thanos uses this distraction to grab Gamora by the neck.

Peter pulled out his gun and held it at Thanos, seeing red, "Let her go, Grimace!"

"Peter…." Gamora pleaded, trying to remind Peter of their conversation back on the ship.

"I told you to go right."

Gamora looked at Peter, exasperated, "Now? Really?"

Peter looked to Thanos angrily, "You let her go!"

Thanos sighed, "Ah, the boyfriend."

Peter squeezed his grip tighter on his gun, "I like to think of myself more as a Titan-killing long term booty call. Let her go."

"Peter…."

"Or I'm gonna blow that nut-sack of a chin right off your face!" Peter ignored his girlfriends pleas. He knew what she was referring to but didn't want to face the reality of the situation… no pun intended.

Gamora shook her head, "Not him." Peter hesitated and didn't shoot, "You promised!" Gamora sounded like she was going to break down and sob, "You promised."

Thanos shook his head at the interaction between his daughter and her boyfriend, "Oh, daughter. You expect too much from him." Then he looked at Peter, "She's asked, hasn't she? Do it." Thanos shoved Gamora towards Peter's gun, egging him on, "Do it!"

"I told you to go right." Peter stated, his chin quivered at what he was about to do, tearing up.

"I love you, more than anything."

"I love you, too." Peter pulls the trigger- but a stream of bubbles comes out. Peter stared at the bubbles in disbelief.

"I like you." Thanos stated before teleporting himself and Gamora away as a stunned Peter watched as his friends recover from their fake deaths.

* * *

 _ **Thanos's Ship**_

Thanos teleported himself and Gamora to his ship. Gamora stood in the middle of Thanos's throne room. Thanos brought a little cup of food and holds it out to Gamora, "I thought you might be hungry."

Gamora looks at the bowl of soup and took it. She stared at it for a few seconds then hurled it across the room where it bangs against Thanos's chair with a loud clack, "I always hated that chair."

"So I've been told." Thanos said, his voice even, "Even so. I'd hoped you'd sit on it one day."

"I hated this room." Gamora continued as if not hearing Thanos's words, "This ship. I hated my life."

"You told me that too. Every day. For almost twenty years."

Gamora looked up to him, hatred in her eyes, "I was a child when you took me."

Thanos shook his head, "I saved you."

"No. No. We were happy on my home planet." Gamora stubbornly, or bravely, argued with Thanos.

"Going to bed hungry. scrounging for scraps. Your planet was on the brink of collapse. I'm the one who stopped that. Do you know what's happened since then? The children born have known nothing but full bellies and clear skies. It's a paradise."

Gamora snorted and growled, "Because you murdered half the planet."

"A small price to pay for salvation."

Gamora shook her head, "You're insane."

"Little one, it's a simple calculus. This universe is finite, it's resources finite. If life is left unchecked, life will cease to exist. It needs correction."

"You don't know that!"

Thanos yelled, "I'm the only one who knows that." Then in a softer voice, "At least, I'm the only one with the will to act on it. For a time...you had that same will...as you fought by my side. Daughter."

"I'm not your daughter. Everything I hate about myself you taught me."

"And in doing so, made you the fiercest woman in the galaxy. That's why I trusted you to find the Soul Stone." Thanos stated.

Gamora bowed her head, "I'm sorry I disappointed you."

"I am disappointed. But not because you didn't find it. But because you did. And you lied."

* * *

A large metal door opened. Thanos and Gamora stood there as a set of inner doors made of interlacing metal slide away. Inside, Nebula is suspended horizontally in the air in the middle of the room. Gamora's eyes widened, "Nebula."

Nebula has been partially disassembled so that she is still living, yet still slightly connected to each of her parts. Gamora turned to Thanos, shaking her head and pleading with him, "Don't do this."

"Some time ago, your sister snuck aboard this ship to kill me."

"Please don't do this."

Thanos continued, "And very nearly succeeded. So I brought her here. To talk." Thanos curls in both the power and space stones, causing Nebula's already extended pieces to stretch further outward. She begins to scream.

"Stop." Gamora begged, tears streaming down her cheeks, "Stop it. I swear to you on my life. I never found the Soul Stone."

Thanos signals a nearby servant who taps on a control pad. We hear Nebula's voice say, "Accessing memory files" and a sort of hologram of Gamora's face shudders to life.

"You know what he's about to do. He's finally ready, and he's going for the stones. All of them." Memory Nebula stated.

Memory Gamora shook her head, "He can never get them all."

"He will!"

"He can't, Nebula. Because I found the map to the Soul stone and I burnt it to ash. I burnt it." The memory ended and there was stunned silence in the room.

Thanos looked at Gamora, "You're strong. Me. You're generous. Me. But I never taught you to lie. That's why you're so bad at it. Where is the Soul Stone?" He resumes torturing Nebula for several seconds, Gamora wincing at her screams.

"Vormir!" Gamora shouted, unable to bair seeing her sister in pain. Thanos stopped the torture and Nebula gasps in air. Gamora goes to her and caresses her face, "The Soul Stone is on Vormir."

Thanos glared at Gamora, "Show me." He ordered.

* * *

 _ **Milano Escape Pod**_

In the escape pod from the Malino, Thor, Rocket, Groot and Valkyrie are impatiently waiting to arrive at Nivadellir.

"I am Groot." Teenage Groot stated, not even bothering to hide his irritation.

Rocket turned his head towards him with a sigh, "Tinkle in the cup. We're not looking. What's there to see? What's a twig? Everybody's seen a twig."

"I am Groot." Groot protested.

"Tree, pour what's in the cup out in space, and go in the cup again." Thor stated, looking out into space, brooding.

Val looked to Thor in shock, "You speak Groot?"

Thor looked to her, "Yes, they taught it on Asgard. It was an elective."

"I am Groot." Groot stated shortly.

Thor looked to Groot, "You'll know when we're there." Then Thor looked back to Valkyrie, "Nivadellir's forge harnesses the power of a blazing neutron star." Thor sighed, "t's the birth place of my hammer. It's truly awesome."

Rocket turned around from the controls to the escape pod to see Thor sitting sadly beside the window, and sighs. He muttered, "Okay, time to be the captain." Rocket walked to a console near by Thor, "So, dead brother, huh? Yeah, that can be annoying." Valkyrie sensed that the conversation was meant to be private, so she turned around in the co-pilot seat and stared out into space.

Since it was an escape pod they were in, Val could still hear everything that was being said, "Well, he's been dead before, but this time I think it really might be true." Thor stated sadly.

"And you said your sister and your dad?" Rocket prodded.

"Both dead."

"Still got a mom, though?"

"Killed by a dark elf."

"A best friend?"

"Stabbed through the heart."

Rocket sighed at the pain and suffering that Thor had gone through, "Are you sure you're up to this particular murder mission?"

"Absolutely. Rage, vengeance, anger, loss, regret...They're all tremendous motivators. They really clear the mind. So I'm good to go." Thor responded.

Rocket hesitated, "Yeah, but this Thanos we're talking about...He's the toughest there is."

"Well, he's never fought me." Thor replied.

"Yeah, he has."

"He's never fought me twice. And I'm getting a new hammer, don't forget."

Rocket snorted, "Better be some hammer."

"You know, I'm 1,500 years old. I've killed twice as many enemies as that, and every one would have rather killed me, but none succeeded. I'm only alive because fate wants me alive. Thanos is the latest in a long line of 'morons' and he will be the latest to feel my vengeance."

"And what if you're wrong?" Rocket asked.

"If I'm wrong then what more could I lose?"

Thor stood and seated himself at the front of the pod, beside Groot and behind Valkyrie.

"I could lose a lot. Me personally. I could lose a lot." Rocket takes an eyeball from somewhere on his person and holds it out, "Okay. If fate does want you to kill that crap-sack... You're gonna need more than one stupid eyeball." He gave Thor the eyeball.

Thor looked at the eyeball, questioningly, "What's this?"

"What's it look like? Some jerk lost a bet with me on on Contraxia." Rocket responded.

"He gave you his eye?"

Rocket snorted, "He gave me 100 credits. I snuck in later that night and stole his eye."

"Thank you, sweet rabbit." Thor proceeds to put the eyeball in his socket.

"Hmm. Huh? Oh. I would've washed that. The only way I could sneak it off Contraxia was up my… Hey, we're here!" Rocket turned and sat back down in the pilot's seat, next to Valkyrie.

"'Bout time." Val murmured to Rocket.

Thor smacked his palm against the side of his head, "I don't think this thing works. Everything seems dark."

"It ain't the eye." Rocket commented.

* * *

 _ **Nivadellir**_

Nivadellir is dark and motionless as the three near it. It seemed to be abandoned. Valkyrie watched as Thor frowned, "Something's wrong. The star's gone out. And the rings are frozen."

* * *

The group made their way to the inside the forge, where Thor, Rocket, Groot and Val walk through a seemingly abandon, and cluttered room, "I hope these dwarves are better at forging than they are cleaning…. Maybe they realized they live in a junk pile in the middle of space…" Rocket trailed off."

"This forge hasn't gone dark in centuries…." Thor remarked.

"Do you think Thanos was here before us?" Valkyrie asked quietly, her voice growling when stating that murderers name.

Apparently Rocket had the same idea that Val had. Rocket looked to a pedestal, "You said Thanos had a gauntlet, right?"

"Yes. Why?"

Rocket pointed to the outline of a gauntlet, "Look anything like that?"

"I am Groot." Groot stated.

Rocket snapped to Groot, "Go back to the pod!"

Suddenly a large figure storms towards them fiercely. Thor noted who he was and called out, "Eitri, wait! Stop! Stop."

"Thor?" Eitri halted in his rush.

"What happened here?"

Eitri shook his head, furious, "You were supposed to protect us. Asgard was supposed to protect us!"

Thor sighed, "Asgard is destroyed. Eitri, the glove. What did you do?"

Eitri paused before beginning his solemn story. "Three hundred dwarves lived on this ring. I thought if I did what he asked, they'd be safe. I made what he wanted. A device capable of harnessing the power of the stones. Then he killed everyone anyway. All except me. 'Your life is yours.' he said, 'But your hands are mine alone.'"

Thor took Eitri by the shoulders, "Eitri, this isn't about your hands. Every weapon you've designed, every axe, hammer sword…. It's all inside your head. Now I know all hope feels lost. Trust me, I know. But together, you and I, we can kill Thanos."


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Prepare for Battle**

 _ **Milano**_

Mantis ran into the main room in the Malino were Peter and Drax were currently sitting in, still in shock over Gamora's kidnapping by Thanos, "Guys, Nebula contacted us. We need to head to Titan. Now."

* * *

 _ **Titan**_

Peter, Drax and Mantis stalked outside the wrecked ship of Thano's army. They heard talking from inside a destroyed wall of the ship. A kids voice drifted through to them, "Let me just say, if aliens wind up implanting eggs in my chest or something…. And I end up eating you, I'm sorry."

"I don't wanna hear another single pop culture out of you for the rest of the trip." A more adult, gruffer voice answered, "You understand?"

"I'm trying to say that something is coming." The kid stated back.

Peter nodded to the group before rolling a grenade into the room and snapping on his helmet. Peter, Drax, and Mantis appeared in the doorway.

"Thanos!" Drax yelled as they charged in. The Cloak of Levitation flies at Drax's face and whips him around. Peter pins Iron Man to the wall with a magnetic disc.

While crawling backward from Mantis, Peter Parker, or Spider-Man shouted, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! Please don't put your eggs in me!" Spider-Man webs Mantis' arms to her body, and Peter flies at him front the side, kicking him down.

"Stay down, clown." Peter shouted, pointing his gun at Iron Man. Tony Stark fired at the flying Peter Quill as Spider-Man extends his spider legs and jumps at him, but Star-Lord throws an electric cord that wraps around Parker sending him to the ground.

Drax was over in the corner and struggled with the Cloak of Levitation and shouting, "Die, blanket of death!"

Iron Man pulls free of the magnet. Star-Lord and Iron Man pull weapons on each other. Star-Lord has Spider-Man in a headlock, while Iron Man stands over Drax with a gun, and Doctor Strange stands ready near Mantis.

"Everybody stay where you are. Chill F out." Peter Quill powers off his helmet, "I'm gonna ask you this one time. Where's Gamora?"

"Yeah, I'll do you one better." Tony Stark powered off his helmet as well, "Who's Gamora?"

Drax, trying to one-up his team mates shouted out, "I'll do you one better! Why is Gamora?"

"Tell me where the girl is, or I swear to you, I'm gonna French fry this little freak." Quill stated.

"Let's do it!" Stark shouted back, "You shoot my guy, I blast him. Let's go!" Tony extends his nanotech gun.

"Do it, Quill! I can take it." Drax shouted from his position in Stark's grip.

Mantis shook her head desperately, "No he can't take it!"

"She's right." Doctor Strange stated, "You can't."

"Oh yeah?" Quill snarked, "You don't wanna tell me where she is? That's fine. I'll kill all three of you and beat it out of Thanos myself." Peter nodded to Spider-Man, "Starting with you."

Dr. Strange held up his hands in confusion, "Wait, what, Thanos? All right, let me ask you this one time. What master do you serve?"

Quill looked at the man with a weird expression, "What master do I serve? What am I supposed to say? 'Jesus'?"

Surprised, Stark asks, "You're from Earth?"

"I'm not from Earth. I'm from Missouri."

"Yeah, that's on Earth dip-shit. What are you harassing us for?"

Spider-Man powered down his face mask to show a brown haired teenager, "So, you're not with Thanos?"

"With Thanos?" Quill scoffs, "No, I'm here to kill Thanos. He took my girl- Wait, who are you?"

"We're the Avengers, man." Parker answered.

Quill lowered his gun, realizing that this had all just been a misunderstanding, "Oh."

"You're the ones Thor told us about." Mantis stated.

Stark snapped his attention over to Mantis, "You know Thor?"

"Yeah." Peter Quill replied, "Tall guy, not the good-looking, needed saving."

"Where is he now?"

* * *

 _ **Nivadellir**_

Eitri is showing Thor, Rocket, Groot, and Valkyrie the mold for Stormbreaker, "This is plan? We're gonna hit him with a brick?" Rocket asked

Eitri shook his head, "It's a mold. A king's weapon. Meant to be the greatest in Asgard. In theory, it could even summon the Bifrost."

"Bifrost?" Valkyrie asked, hearing myths but never believing that it was real.

"A way of travel between realms." Eitri answered.

"Did it have a name?" Thor asked, "The weapon." He clarified.

"Stormbreaker."

Rocket snorted, "That's a bit much."

Thor stepped forward, "So how do we make it?"

Eitri glanced to where the star would be lit, "You'll have to restart the forge. Awaken the heart of a dying star."

"Rabbit, fire up the pod." Thor ordered.

* * *

 _ **Titan**_

Peter Quill is measuring the planet's tilt. Mantis is jumping in the low gravity. Quill stated, looking from the device to look around the ruins, "The _heck_ happened to this planet? It's eight degrees off its axis. Gravitational pull is all over the place."

"Yeah," Tony Stark stated, "We got one advantage. He's coming to us. We'll use it. All right, I have a plan. Or at least the beginnings of one. It's pretty simple. We draw him in, pin him down, get what we need. Definitely don't wanna dance with this guy. We just need the gauntlet."

Drax yawned.

Tony looked at Drax in disbelief, "Are you yawning? In the middle of this, while I'm breaking it down? Huh? Did you hear what I said?"

Drax shook his head, "I stopped listening after you said, 'We need a plan.'"

Tony sighed. He looked over to Quill, "Okay, Mr. Clean is on his own page."

"See, 'not winging it' isn't really what they do." Quill explained.

Parker piped up, "Uh, what exactly do they do?"

"Kick names, take ass." Mantis replied with a serious face.

Drax quietly as shifts to a commanding position beside Mantis, "Yeah, that's right"

Stark stands for a moment with an expression of hopelessness, "Alright, just get over her, please. Mr. Lord can you get your folks to circle up?"

"'Mr. Lord.' Star-Lord is fine." Quill motions to Drax and Mantis.

"We gotta coalesce." Tony said, 'Cause if all we come at him with is a plucky attitude….'" Stark trailed off.

Quill, exasperated, "Dude, don't call us plucky. We don't know what is means. Alright, we're optimistic, yes. I like your plan. Except it sucks, so let me do the plans, and that way it might be really good."

"Tell him about the dance-off to save the universe." Drax stated to Quill.

Tony looked puzzled, "What dance-off?"

Quill shook his head, "It's nothing."

Parker butted in, "Like in Footloose, the movie?"

Quill excitedly smiled at Parker, "Exactly like Footloose. Is it still the greatest movie in history?"

Parker snorted and shook his head, "It never was." Quill frowned sadly at him.

Stark pointed at Parker, "Don't encourage this, alright?"

Parker sighed, "Okay."

"We're getting no help from Flash Gordon here." Tony remarked.

"Flash Gordon?" Quill asked, "By the way, that's a compliment. Don't forget, I'm half human." Quill points at Stark and Parker, "So that 50% of me that's stupid... That's 100% you."

Tony, eyes wide and shaking his head, "Your math is blowing my mind."

Mantis raised a hand and pointed it at Dr. Strange, "Excuse me, but...Does your friend often do that?"

Dr. Strange is sitting cross-legged, his hands poise in a mystic gesture with the Time Stone suspended between them. His eyes are closed, and his head is jerking rapidly from side to side.

Stark made his way over and asked, "Strange, we alright?" Dr. Strange seems to snap out of it as he starts forward, letting out a cry, "You're back. You're alright. Hi."

Parker swallowed, "Hey, what was that?"

Breathlessly Dr. Strange answered, "I went forward in time to view alternate futures. To see all the possible outcomes of the coming conflict."

"How many did you see?" Quill asked, interested.

Strange answered, "Fourteen thousand six hundred and five."

Tony ran his tongue around his suddenly dry mouth, "How many did we win?"

Dr. Strange paused a while before answering, "One."

* * *

 _ **Vormir**_

Thanos and Gamora have just appeared outside a mountain on Vormir. "The stone had better be up there… for your sister's sake." Thanos stated. Gamora had no doubt that he would follow through with that threat."

A little while had passed and Thanos and Gamora were now inside the mountain. The two stood before a cloaked, faceless figure there to guard the way.

"Welcome, Thanos, son of Eros. Gamora, daughter of Thanos." The Stonekeeper spoke.

Thanos blinked, "You know us?"

The Stonekeeper nodded, "It is my curse to know all who journey here."

Thanos stepped forward in a threatening manner, "Where's the Soul Stone?

"You should know… It extracts a terrible price."

Thanos gave a regal nod, "I am prepared."

Stonekeeper cleared his throat, "We all think that at first.. The figure glides farther out of the shadows and reveals the face of the be Red Skull, "We are all wrong."

* * *

The Stonekeeper led Thanos and Gamora to an outside pinnacle, "How is it you know this place so well?" Thanos asked.

"A lifetime ago," The Stonekeeper responded, "I, too, sought the stones. I even held one in my hand. But it cast me out, banished me here. Guiding others to a treasure I cannot possess." They came to the edge of mountaintop, and stop at the precipice of it, "What you seek lies before you. As does what you fear."

"What's this?"

"The price." He answered, "Soul hold a special place among the Infinity Stones. You might say it has a certain wisdom."

"Tell me what it needs."

"To ensure that whoever possesses it..Understands its power… the stone demands a sacrifice." The Stonekeeper stated.

"Of what?" Thanos questioned.

The Stonekeeper answered, "In order to take the stone you must lose that which you love. A soul… .For a soul."

Gamora began to laugh at the irony of the situation, "All my life, I dreamed of a day...A moment when you would get what you deserved. And I was always so disappointed. But now...You kill and torture...And you call it mercy. The universe has judged you. You asked it for a prize, and it told you no. You failed. And do you wanna know why? Because you love nothing. No one."

Thanos turned to face Gamora with tears in his eyes. "No."

Gamora scoffed, "Really? Tears?"

The Stonekeeper looked at Gamora, "They're not for him."

Gamora looked at the Stonekeeper, and seems to realize what is about to happen. She shook her head, "No. This isn't love."

"I ignored my destiny once." Thanos declared, "I cannot do that again. Even for you. I'm sorry, little one."

Thanos grabbed Gamora by the arm and dragged her to the precipice.

"No!" Gamora yelled and tried in vain to break from his grasp, but he soon throws her over the side, and watches sorrowfully as she falls to her death.

* * *

 _ **Nivadellir**_

Rocket is in the escape pod and Thor jumped from the roof onto the rings with a rope in his hand, attached to the pod. Through the speakers of the ship, Rocket stated, "I don't think you get the scientifics here. These rings are wanna get them moving…. You're gonna need something a lot bigger to yank 'em loose."

Thor looked back to Rocket, "Leave that to me."

"Leave that to you? Buddy, you're in space. All you got is a rope and a-" Rocket trailed off as Thor begins to swing the pod around. He lets the pod drag him, until he stops himself by digging his feet into the ring, still holding the pod. The rings begin to move slowly.

"More power, rabbit!" Thor yelled.

Finally the star bursts into life, the rings align, and a jet of light streams through the forge.

Valkyrie cheered as the star turned back on, "Yes!"

"Well done, boy." Eitri stated.

Thor, hanging on, looks through the pod window, at Rocket, an points to the star, "That's Nivadellir."

The iris closes and the beam of light recedes back into the star. "Dang it." Eitri huffed.

"What's wrong?" Val asked.

"'Dang it?' What's 'dang it?'" Rocket also questioned.

"The mechanism is crippled." Eitri stated, running all over the room to look at different instruments.

"What?" Thor asked.

"With the iris closed I can't heat the metal."

"How long will it take to heat?" Thor asked.

"A few minutes, maybe more. Why?"

"I'm gonna hold it open." Thor stated.

Valkyrie's eyes widened at the implication of the statement, "No, you can't."

Eitri nodded at her, "The girl's right, that's suicide."

"So is facing Thanos without that axe."

Valkyrie swallowed, "He's right."

Thor was now standing in the rings, "Allfathers, give me strength." He mumbled.

Eitri's voice spoke to Thor through their communication earpiece, "You understand, boy? You're about to take the full force of a star. It'll kill you."

Thor shook his head, "Only if I die".

Eitri nodded, confused, "Yes. That's what killing you means."

Thor grasped the handholds and pulls, slowly opening the iris. The stream of light returns and awakens the forge once more, "Hold it! Hold it, Thor!" Eitri yelled.

Eitri and Valkyrie watched as the metal melt, and tips the cauldron, pouring it into the mold. Thor passed out, and the jet carried him back to the forge. Rocket follows him, in the pod, and Groot looks up from his game when Thor lands near him.

"No." Valkyrie breathed, running over to Thor's dead body.

Rocket raced to Thor and knelt next to him, "Thor! Say something. Come on. Thor, you okay?" Rocket looked up at Eitri, "I think he's dying."

"Come on, I need you." Val muttered. She needed her revenge on Thanos and Thor was the quickest way to get there.

"He needs the axe!" Eitri stated, frantic, "Where's the handle? Tree, help me find the handle!" Eitri, Rocket and Val scrambled around the workshop to find a handle that would fit the ax.

Groot looks sadly at Thor, stands and grows a longer arm, weaving it around the axe and hammer, joining them,and then cutting his arm off at the usual length. Thor's hand opens slightly, and the hammer rises from the ground; lightening flickering from it.

* * *

 _ **Earth, Wakanda**_

On Earth, The Avengers and Wakandans are struggling against the Outriders. Suddenly, a large beam of light lands nearby, and the Avengers and Wakandans stop to look up as the axe flies through the air, electrocuting the Outriders. Thor appears with his new axe Stormbreaker, alongside Rocket, Groot and Valkyrie.

"Hah! Hah! Hah!" Bruce laughed with joy at seeing Thor alive, "You guys are so screwed now!"

"BRING ME THANOS!" Thor yelled and he charged toward the hoards of Outriders, followed by Groot, Rocket and Valkyrie.

* * *

 **A/N: Valkyrie made it to Earth! On another note, I saw Endgame on April 26th and then again on May 10th. It's awesome, but that's all I'll say because, spoilers!**

 **Favorites:** _Morgan Junior._

 **Followers:** _Firefly9715 and DKMaria_.

* * *

 **Posted: May 11th, 2019.**

 **Next Update: June 8th, 2019.**


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust**

 _ **Titan**_

Thanos appears in front of Doctor Strange, who appears to be the only one there. "Oh, you're much more of Thanos." Strange quipped.

"I take it the Maw is dead." Thanos took a deep sighed. "This day extracts a heavy toll. Still, he accomplished his mission."

"You may regret that. He brought you face-to-face with the Master of the Mystic Arts."

"And where do you think he brought you?" Thanos spoke. As he spoke, Peter Quill is hiding nearby behind some of the wreckage with his weapon ready. Spiderman is hiding above the structure where Strange sits.

Letting Thanos talk, Doctor Strange stated, "Let me guess. Your home?"

Thanos smiled reminiscently, "It was. And it was beautiful." Thanos used the Reality Stone to show Strange Titan before it was destroyed. "Titan was like most planets. Too many mouths, and not enough to go around. And when we faced extinction, I offered a solution."

Strange sucked in a breath of air. His heart pounded, "Genocide."

Thanos gave one nod, "But at random, dispassionate, fair to rich and poor alike. They called me a madman. And what I predicted came to pass." The illusion fades into the true state of Titan.

"Congratulations." Strange stated, monotoned, "You're a prophet."

Thanos snarled, "I'm a survivor."

"Who wants to murder trillions."

"With all six stones, I could simply snap my fingers, and they would all cease to exist. I call that… mercy."

"And then what?"

"I finally rest… and watch the sun rise on a grateful universe. The hardest choices require the strongest wills." Thanos remarked.

"I think you'll find our will," Strange used his hand motion, "equal to yours."

Thanos tilted his head toward the right a bit, "Ours?" He looks up in time to see a chunk of wreckage coming down on him, and tries to use the Power to stop, but is too late and it crushes him.

Iron Man, AKA Tony Stark, flew in and remarked, "Piece of cake, Quill."

Peter Quill, who was flying in from the other side, shouted back, "Yeah, if your goal was to _tick_ him off."

The wreckage on top of Thanos erupts, the pieces glowing with purple. He screams as he used the Power Stone to force the pieces at Iron Man. Spiderman webbed his eyes, and swung in and kicked him in the face. Then Strange summoned a blade, but Thanos stopped it with his hand, and tore the web from his eyes. He advances on Strange, and kicked him just as Strange summoned a shield, absorbing the force of his blow, but knocked him back. Star-Lord shot Thanos from behind, and Thanos used the Power Stone to shoot balls on energy at Star-Lord while he advanced by the steps Strange formed in the air, and places an electric mine on his back.

Thanos turned to Quill, as he disengages his helmet, dives backward into a portal, flipping him off, "Boom!" Thanos tries to use the Space Stone to pull Quill back.

Doctor strange, while nodding to his red Cloak of Levitation, "Do not let him close his fist." The Cloak closes around Thanos' fist, and the mine on his back goes off. Spiderman appears on his right from a portal.

"Magic." Spiderman kicked him in the head, "More magic." He then leaps into another portal. As Thanos tries to recover, he appears through another portal behind him, "Magic with a kick!" He kicks him again in the head with his right leg. Finally, Spiderman appeared on Thanos's right side, "Magic with a-"

Before Spiderman can finish Thanos turns, grabbed him from the air, and threw him to the ground, with his hand around his neck.

"Insect!" Thanos growled. He then threw him, and was about to use the gauntlet, but is interrupted by an explosion caused by Iron Man shooting a missile at him. As the flames blind Thanos, Spiderman attaches a web to him, and strains against it. Thanos pulls Spiderman toward him, but looks up as a ship crashes beside him, and Nebula jumps in front of him.

Thanos looked up at his wayward daughter, "Well, well."

Nebula snarled at her adoptive father, "You should have killed me."

Thanos yelled, "It would've been a waste of parts!"

Nebula ran at Thanos, attacking him with her sword and yelled, "Where's Gamora?!"

Doctor Strange used the Space Stone to case her aside, flailing. Strange formed energy ropes that grappled onto the gauntlet. Thanos tries to pull it free as Peter Quill shot an electromagnet onto the ground beside him, holding down his other hand.

Spiderman swung in and makes a string of web holding him back and enabling his spider legs to anchor himself. Strange opens a portal above Thanos out of which drops Mantis, who lands on his shoulders, her hands on his temples. He screams in pain as she tried to put him under.

"Is he under? Don't let up." Tony Stark asked frantically as he pulled on the gauntlet."

Mantis began to cry, "Be quick... He is very strong!"

"Parker, help! Get over here." Iron Man ordered Spiderman. Peter Parker withdrew his web, and hurried to help Tony with the gauntlet. "She can't hold him much longer. Let's go. We gotta open his fingers to get it off!"

Peter Quill landed then joined in with the others, "I thought you'd be harder to catch. For the record, this was my plan. Not so strong now, huh? Where's Gamora?" Peter Quill growled. He need to see Gamora. He needed her safe.

"... My... Gamora...?" Thanos groaned out, implying that she was dead. Quill didn't believe him. He was a lying liar.

Star-Lord scoffed, "Oh, bull–shit. Where is she?"

"He is in anguish!" Mantis shouted, shocked that the mad Titan could feel anything.

"Good."

"He… he… he mourns!" Mantis cried. She could tell that from his intense feelings that Gamora no longer lived.

"What does this monster have to mourn?!" Drax shouted.

Nebula suddenly understood in horror what Thanos has done, "Gamora." Nebula stated in shock.

Peter glanced at Nebula, "...What?"

Nebula swallowed and shook her head, "He took her to Vormir. He came back with the Soul Stone…but she didn't."

Iron Man could tell that Quill was breathing heavily, "Okay, Quill, you gotta cool it right now, understand?"

Quill slowly turned to Thanos in pure anger.

Iron Man, realizing what Quill was about to do, shouted, "Don't, don't, don't engage, we've almost got this off!"

"Tell me she's lying." Quill stated, enraged. Thanos said nothing. Then, "ASSHOLE!" Quill screamed in frustration, "Tell me you didn't do it!"

"I... had... to." Thanos got out.

Quill, who had tears in his eyes for his lost love, quietly yet threateningly stated, "No, you didn't… No, you didn't…" He continued to rage and then proceeds to pistol-whipping Thanos in the face. "NO, YOU DIDN'T!"

"Quill!" Drax protested.

Quill uses his gun to pound Thanos in the face twice. Iron Man goes to hold him back, as Peter Parker is left to pull off the gauntlet. "Hey, stop!" Iron Man yelled to the raging Quill, "Hey, stop! Stop! Hey, stop! Stop!"

"It's coming!" Spider Man shouted, "It's coming! I got it! I got it...!" Peter Parker almost had the gauntlet off….

But Thanos wakes, butting Mantis from his shoulders, and grabbing the cuff of the gauntlet just as it is sliding off his hand, causing Parker to stumble back, and Mantis to go flying,

Spiderman saw Mantis go flying and shouted, "Oh, God!" He jumped up and hugged her, extending his spider legs which give them a safe landing.

Strange summons a weapon, and Thanos uses the Space Stone to throw him away. Then, Iron Man shots at him, but Thanos batted him down, and used the Space Stone to pull down the surface of the moon. Stark tries to fly away, but a large chunk pinned him down.

* * *

 _ **Earth, Wakanda**_

Valkyrie didn't even pause to think that she was on her brother's home planet. She kept on fighting the hoards as more and more swarmed on the battlefield. She was breathing heavily and fighting near Rocket and a humanoid guy with a metal arm.

"AHHH! Come and get some!" Rocket yelled, shooting the Outriders with his gun, "Space dogs!"

More swarmed to the metal arm guy and Rocket before Valkyrie could get to them. The guy picked Rocket up with his metal arm and fired his gun with the other. Together they spun around, shooting and killing the Outriders.

"Come on! Get some! Get some!" Rocket shouted, "Come on! Get some!" Rocket let out a small grunt as he landed back on the ground from the metal arm guy dropping him. Rocket looked up and immediately asked, "How much for the gun?"

"Rocket! We're in the middle of a fight!" Valkyrie called over, joining them.

"It's not for sale." The man replied.

"Okay. How much for the arm?" The man gave Rocket a sideways glance then walked off without a word. "Oh, I'll get that arm." Rocket muttered under his breath.

"Rocket, that's not a way of making friends!" Val scolded, still firing her weapon. She checked the bullets for the gun she was currently using. Half full. Damn. After this she could only use her swords.

She ran after the metal arm guy and ran up beside him, "Hey, sorry about Rocket back there. He's kinda strange."

The man grunted.

"I'm Valkyrie."

The man glanced at her, "We're really doing this in the middle of a battle?" A couple beats of silence between them, then, "The name's Bucky."

"Nice to meet you, Bucky."

* * *

Over on the other side of the battlefield, Thor swung his newly made axe into one Outrider after another. There was a lull in the battle and Captain America nodded to Thor, "New Haircut?"

Thor pointed at Steve's beard, "Notice you've copied my beard." He then petted his beard.

"Yeah."

Teenage Groot shot right arm through three Outriders before lifting them up. Thor noticed Steve's look and Thor stated, "Oh, by the way, this is a friend of mine. Tree."

Groot looked at Thor angrily, "I AM GROOT!"

Steve Rogers looked back and pointed at himself, "I am Steve Rogers."

* * *

Somewhere in the chaos of the battle, Valkyrie had lost sight of Bucky and Rocket but as she looked around, her gun clicked. "Damn." She pulled out her two swords and began to fight again until she noticed one of the red-headed soldiers on her side lying in a trench with one of the children of Thanos standing over her.

"He'll die alone. As will you." The Child of Thanos stated.

"She's not alone." Came the voice of another female with short blond hair.

Valkyrie finished killing the Outriders that came at her and ran over to help, "And they have help." She got into a fighting stance, the same one that the blond had made. Valkyrie felt another presence beside her and she glanced to her left to see another female warrior holding a staff and pointing it at the Child of Thanos.

Valkyrie smirked, "Check mate." Ebony snarled and made a beeline straight for her and Valkyrie only had enough time to bring her swords up to parry before she was on top of her. The blond and bald headed females attacked from two different angles and together they managed to get Ebony off of Valkyrie.

After a couple minutes of fighting, Ebony managed to knock the bald female down and stab Valkyrie through the right shoulder, making her fall to the ground and drop her right sword. Ebony spat at her then went to fight the blond who attacked her as Valkyrie began to sit up, in pain and her vision swarmed.

By the time Valkyrie's vision calmed down, she saw that Ebony Maw had trapped the blond on the ground and had pinned her. She began to stand but before she could get fully up, the red-haired female brought her hands up and a red glow emanated from them. Then Valkyrie noticed that Ebony was glowing the same red. Then She flew upwards and into one of the huge groundcrafts that the Outriders built.

"Whao." Valkyrie gasped as blue blood spattered everyware and onto the blond's face, "That was awesome!"

The blond sat up and disagreed, "That was really gross."

"I'm Valkyrie. Came here with Thor." Valkyrie introduced herself. She disliked not knowing everyone's names.

"Okaye." The bald female warrior responded.

"Natasha." Came the blond's reply.

The powerful redhead bad-ass turned to her and smiled, "Wanda. Pleasure to meet you."

* * *

 _ **Titan**_

Peter Parker swung through the air catching the unconscious guardians as they flew through the air after being pulled by Thanos, "I got you! I got you!" A beat of silence, then, "I'm sorry I can't remember everyone's names!"

Doctor Strange floated down onto a rock and began a spell that sent a chain of fire at Thanos who avoided it by leaping above the ground with a yell and fired a purple ball of energy from the Power Stone at Strange. Strange blocked it by a solid invisible wall which cracked like a mirror. The Doctor then pushed the mirror shards towards Thanos who had just landed on the ground.

Thanos took his gauntlet and shattered them into tiny pieces. Then with the Mind Stone, Thanos created a horizontal tornado of blue, black and brown and threw it at Strange who blocked it with an orange shield. The mass turned into green floating specks of butterflies.

Then hundreds of Doctor Strange's appeared floating around Thanos and sent their red lasso to whip around Thanos, pinning him down. Thanos groaned under the pressure before activating the purple and blue stones and sent the images of Strange to vanish and push their forces back into Strange, who stumbled backwards under the force.

He used the red and blue stones to move the ground that Strange was standing on closer to him until he had Strange in a choke hold with his gauntlet.

"You're full of tricks, wizard." Thanos remarked before going for the green time stone that was around Strange's neck with his right hand. He pulled it out.

"No!" Strange moaned.

Thanos paid him no mind as he stared at its case, mesmerized, "Yet you never once used your greatest weapon." Thanos crushed the case for the time stone. It crumbled into dust, but no stone, "A fake." He mused.

He tossed Strange to the ground. He rolled to a stop at the bottom of a few stairs and didn't move. Suddenly a red and orange glove attached itself to his Infinity Gauntlet, making him unable to close the hand.

Iron Man did his superhero landing in front of him, "You throw another moon at me and I'm gonna lose it."

"Stark." Thanos breathed out.

Puzzled, Tony Stark squinted his eyes at his enemy, "You know me?"

"I do." Thanos responded, "You're not the only one cursed with knowledge."

Tony shook his head in his helmet, "My only curse is you." Bogies ejected out of Iron Man's suit and flew at Thanos. A dust cloud sprung up after Thanos shielded himself. Tony flew at him with his new feet repulser, knocking him back. Tony did a flip before landing on the ground. His suit clamped down on the ground and two big fists appeared on his suit and Iron Man punched Thanos backwards into a rock wall.

Thnaos responded in kind, grabbing Tony's helmet and ripping it off. Tony blinked at Thanos, stunned before his armor regenerated a new helmet. It was a good thing he had that program installed as soon after, Thanos punched him in the face and Stark landed on the ground, hard, a ways away from him.

Thanos ripped off Stark's tech from his gauntlet as Tony sat up. Tony had enough time to create a shield before a purple blast from the Power Stone came at him and pushed him back about fifty feet.

Tony Stark deflected the beam and flew at Thanos with a left roundhouse kick to the face. It never made it any close as Thanos grabbed the foot and slammed it to the ground in front of him. Tony turned around and swung at him with his right arm.

It left a small dark purple cut on his right cheek.

Thanos used his first two fingers to wipe the blood off and stared at it. Then he looked up at Stark and grinned, "All that for a drop of blood." Thanos did an uppercut to Stark's chin which sent him tumbling over and landed on the ground. Thanos then began to pummel Stark with punches. He grabbed Stark by the helmet and thrust the powerstone at him which made Stark fly backwards and land with a thud.

With his remaining flight pulser, Tony shot a beam at Thanos which he deflected with his gauntlet and made his way slowly towards Stark, using the beam for coverage. Eventually, Thanos got close enough for him to punch Stark and then when he went in for a second punch, Tony held up his arms in a cross position to block it. It held for a couple of seconds before he deflected and turned to punch Thanos.

Thanos grabbed the punch mid swing with the gauntlet. With Tony right hand, the one that wasn't held by Thanos, he formed a blade and swung it up to stab him. Thanos saw what he was going to do. He took the blade, ripped it out of Tony's hands, turned around and stabbed Stark with it in the gut.

Tony gasped.

Thanos pushed Tony back until he stumbled into a piece of metal and he had to sit down, "You have my respect, Stark. When I'm done, half of humanity will be still alive." He stepped back, away from his foe, "I hope they remember you."

He activated all four power stones and was about to end Stark's pitiful existence when, "Stop!"

Thanos powered the stones down and turned to look at Doctor Strange who had managed to sit up, breathing hard.

"Spare his life." Strange pleaded. Let this work. Please, let this work, "and I will give you the stone."

"No tricks."

Strange shook his head, "No tricks."

Thanos pointed the gauntlet in Strange's direction and powered up the stones again, "Don't!" Stark groaned out, shaking his head desperately. His life wasn't worth half of humanity.

Strange held up his right hand and forced the Time Stone out from where it was hidden. Thanos held out his right hand and still held the left one pointed at Strange. Doctor Strange stared at the Time Stone before opening his hand and letting it float over to Thanos. Thanos put the gauntlet down and caught the Time Stone. He stared at it, mesmerized with infinite power that he now wielded.

Thanos put the stone in the gauntlet and arched his back with the power that coursed through the glove before coming back to focus on the battle, "One to go."

Blaster fire came from out of nowhere as Peter Quill had finally regained consciousness and was angry attacking him, apparently still hung up over the death of Gamora.

Thanos just shook his head, activated the stones and portled to Earth.

Peter Quill flew over the closed portal and landed hard on the ground, shook. He deactivated his helmet, "Where is he!" He pointed his blaster in the direction he thought he was, but saw no one but his teammates.

Tony had pulled out his sword from his gut and was closing the gap with nanotechnology. It wasn't a permanent fix, but it would do for now.

Peter Quill had a horrified look on his face as what just happened hit him, "Did we just loose?"

Tony didn't answer Quill and he looked towards Strange, "Why would you do that?"

"We're in the Endgame now."

* * *

 _ **Earth, Wakanda**_

Suddenly everything became eerily quiet. The wind whistled through the battlefield like a whistle. Valkyrie noticed and shivered. She had been fighting with Natasha and turned to say, "Something's happening."

"Everyone on my position. We have incoming." Steve Rogers stated into his ear piece.

"What the hell?" Natasha looked around. Falcon was right behind her, Valkyrie having asked his name a couple of minutes ago.

A big robot turned around as a loud shockwave hit them and they all turned to see a black and blue portal being opened and Thanos stepped threw with a smile on his face and five Infinity Stones on the gauntlet.

"Cap, that's him. That's Thanos." The big robot warned the group.

"Peter." Valkyrie gasped, realizing that this meant that Peter, Gamora, Drax and Mantis had failed. She blinked away tears. She would mourn for them later just as she would mourn her family and planet.

Captain America's shield shifted upwards and he commanded the group, "Eyes up. Stay sharp."

Thanos stroad forward, using the Mind stone to pass right through him and become solid again as he rolled up against the base of a cliff wall and melted into it, effectively trapping whoever was inside of it.

With the power stone, he threw Steve Rogers through the air and down to the ground.

The Black Panther tried next, coming at him with his claws outstretched and Thanos grabbed him by the neck with the gauntlet. He punched him with his free hand into the ground.

Falcon flew at him, screaming until Thanos used his stones to make his wings brake. He fell to the ground in front of him.

War Machine tried shooting his guns at him but Thanos just used his stones to crush the suit around James Rhodes and threw him to the ground.

Valkyrie let out a strangled yell and charged Thanos only for him to point his gauntlet at her and send her flying backwards into a tree. She landed with a loud thud and then forced darkness.

* * *

When Valkyrie woke up she groaned and noticed a silent battlefield. Squinting she sat up. She saw Steve Rogers breathing heavily and everyone looking concerned, "What happened?"

"Where'd he go?" Rogers looked around frantically, holding his wounded side, "Thor. Where'd he go?"

"Steve?" It was Bucky's voice. Valkyrie turned around and let out a startled yell as Bucky dissolved into ash in front of her. Steve rushed over and knelt next to his dead friend. He placed his right hand on his ashes.

Valkyrie swallowed, "We lost. Didn't we." Valkyrie intended for it to be a question but it turned into a statement of fact. Steve looked at her then back at Thor, defeated.

She heard screams all around her as people began to fade into ash. One particular voice brought her out of her stooper and she limped her way over to were Groot was leaning against a fallen log, "I am Groot."

Rocket inched closer, "No, no no! Groot! No!"

Valkyrie had tears streaming down her face, Groot had just called Rocket Dad. His first 'Dad'…. And his last.

She reached out and put a shaky hand on Rockets right shoulder. It goes to show that Rocket was emotionally stunned as he didn't wack her hand away instead turned into her and hugged her, sobbing.

* * *

 _ **Titan**_

Peter Parker was helping Tony Stark stand up as the rest of the Guardians of the Galaxy made their way silently over to the rest of the group. Peter Quill was supporting Mantis. Drax was a bit farther off and Nebula was off to the side a bit.

"Something's happening." Mantis stated as she faded into ashes. Peter Quill looked beside him, shocked to see his teammate dissolve.

Drax was next as his right arm began to dissolve, "Quill?" Drax asked Quill in a 'what's going on' tone. Then he completely dissolved into ashes.

Tony was the one that noticed that it was happening to Quill as well, "Steady, Quill."

"Oh, man." Quill groaned out as he too, faded into dust.

"Tony." Tony looked at Doctor Strange, "There was no other way." Then he dissolved into dust.

"Mr. Stark?" Tony looked around at Peter Parker as he stumbled forward, "I don't feel so good."

"You're all right." Stark stated, in disbelief. Not the kid.

"I don't know what's happening. I don't know…" Peter collapsed in Tony's arms, "I don't want to go. I don't want to go, sir, please." As Peter's legs dissolved into dust, Tony sank to the ground, still wrapped in Peter's arms, "Please." Peter pleased with Tony. As if he had any control over the situation, "I don't want to go. I don't want to go." Peter was now lying on the ground in Tony's arms when Peter looked directly into Tony's eyes, "I'm sorry." And he dissolved into ash.

Tony Stark stumbled and placed a hand on the dust that used to be Peter. Then he turned away and sat holding his arm in shock.

"He did it." Nebula stated.

* * *

 _ **Earth, Wakanda**_

Natasha ran back to the group as Steve turned over Vision's cold, grey, corpse. Valkyrie was sitting on the ground, her hand over the stab wound, courtesy of Ebony Maw. Rocket sat next to her on an overturned tree, his feet dangling off it. The Hulk was behind them with Thor off to the side, looking down. James Rhodes stood in the other robot machine.

Silence.

Steve collapsed to the ground, not able to continue kneeling at Vision's body, "What's happening? What is this?" Steve asked, not understanding that they lost.

"What the hell is happening?" Rhodes asked.

"Oh. God." Steve breathlessly stated.

"He did what he set out to do." Valkyrie spoke up. Everyone turned to her, "He did the same thing on my planet to get the Power Stone. That was total destruction. But this time…" She gave a mangled laugh, "This time is worse. This time it's half of the universe. He did what he set out to do. We've lost."

* * *

 **AN: Hey guys! So, next up is Endgame. I'm going to wait until it comes out on DVD and then I'm going to wait until I have the rest written to post again. This is mainly because I will be going from undergraduate schooling to graduate and the course work is going to increase drastically. So, for now, this work is now on temporary HIATUS.**


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Endgame**

 **A/N: Hey guys. So, I know I've been away for a bit, but it's for a good reason. I was settling into grad school. I've been loving it, it's been amazing! Now that there is a break between the fall semester and the spring semester, I have time to finally finish this story. I will be scraping my original time table to just release the next chapter every day till completion.**

* * *

 _Previously…._

 _Natasha ran back to the group as Steve turned over Vision's cold, grey, corpse. Valkyrie was sitting on the ground, her hand over the stab wound, courtesy of Ebony Maw. Rocket sat next to her on an overturned tree, his feet dangling off it. The Hulk was behind them with Thor off to the side, looking down. James Rhodes stood in the other robot machine._

 _Silence._

 _Steve collapsed to the ground, not able to continue kneeling at Vision's body, "What's happening? What is this?" Steve asked, not understanding that they lost._

" _What the hell is happening?" Rhodes asked._

" _Oh. God." Steve breathlessly stated._

" _He did what he set out to do." Valkyrie spoke up. Everyone turned to her, "He did the same thing on my planet to get the Power Stone. That was total destruction. But this time…" She gave a mangled laugh, "This time is worse. This time it's half of the universe. He did what he set out to do. We've lost."_

* * *

 **Somewhere In The Vast Openness of Space**

Nebula had switched on Peter Quill's music so that the silence wasn't defining. The current song playing was called "Dear Mr. Fantasy." She hated music in general, but since the disintegration of Quill and the others, she had taken to playing music.

Currently, Nebula and Tony Stark were in the common area of the ship playing a Terran game of paper football. She was having a hard time understanding the rules, but Tony was patient. That was new to her. Someone respecting that it took her some time to get something right.

"Wrra!" Nebula growled, frustrated. She put her hands in a fighting stance while looking at Tony.

"You don't need to do that." Tony stated, "Because uh... you're just holding position." Nebula flicked a paper football towards Tony and it landed a couple of inches away. She flinched and expected Stark to hit her and when it didn't come, she almost relaxed, "Oh yeah, that was close." Nebula once again tried to flick a paper football towards Tony. Nebula inwardly smiled when she got a 'goal.' "That's a goal. We're now one apiece."

"I would like to try again." Nebula stated and flicked a paper football towards Tony.

Tony Stark gave a half-smile, "We tied up. Feel the tension? It's fun." Tony poorly flicks a paper football towards Nebula on purpose, That was terrible. Now you have a chance to win."

Nebula flicked the paper football towards Tony.

"And... you've won. Congratulations." Tony reaches his hand out to shake Nebula's hand.

Tony nodded, "Fair game. Good sport." Nebula shakes Tony's hand, "Have fun?"

"It was fun."

* * *

Tony Stark sat on the floor of the cockpit and reached forward to turn on the busted Iron-Man helmet. Tony taped the helmet with a sigh.

"This thing on?" The helmet scanned Tony to leave a recorded message. Tony leaned against the wall while taking deep breaths. He looked skinnier and weak with malnutrition. "Hey, Miss Potts... Pep. If you find this recording, don't post it on social media. It's gonna be a real tear-jerker. I don't know if you're ever going to see these. I don't even know if you're... if you're still... Oh god, I hope so. Today is day 21, uh 22."

"You know, if it wasn't for the existential terror of staring into a void of space, I'd say I'm feeling better today. The infection runs its course, thanks to the blue meanie back there." Tony looked away from the window and to the center of the ship were Nebula was sitting.

"You'd love her. Very practical. Only a tiny bit sadistic. Some fuel cells were cracked during the battle, but we figured out a way to reverse the ion charge to buy ourselves about 48 hours of time. But it's now dead in the water. We're 1000 light-years from the nearest 7-11. Oxygen will run out tomorrow. And that'll be it. And Pep, I ... I know I said no more surprises, but I was really hoping to pull off one last one. But it looks like... well you know what it looks like. Don't feel bad about this. I mean, if you grovel for a couple of weeks, and then move on with enormous guilt. I should probably lie down. Please know that... when I drift off, I will think about you. Because it's always you."

With that, Tony turned the helmet off. He rubbed his thumb over the left eye of the helmet, and then leaned down, to what would be his last sleep. Nebula walked over to him, and carried him to Drax's seat, and lies him there. She stared at Tony sleeping for a minute then walked away dejected.

* * *

A vast bluish nebula illuminated the space surrounding the ship. Tony's face glowed blue which showed age and weakness. There is a light on his face, which grows brighter and brighter until he's forced to open his eyes.

* * *

 **Avengers Compound, New York**

It had been twenty-three days since the snap. During this time, Valkyrie had barely talked to anyone except for Rocket. She had spent most of her time in one of the guest rooms in the Avengers Compound or in the gym training. There was no downtime.

She pushed herself harder and faster since the snap. She had lost everything. Her planet was decimated, her family killed, her team turned to dust, and her brother, Peter…. She just knew that he had also been snapped out of existence.

Suddenly a rumbling shook her out of her reprieve. At first, she just thought it was an earthquake, but when she heard yelling from the Avengers that were left, she knew something was going on. She put on her gun belt and bolted for the door, ready for the first sign of trouble.

* * *

She met up on the grounds of the Compound with Captain America, Steve Rogers; The Black Widow, Natasha Romanoff; The Hulk, Bruce Banner; and War Machine, James Rhodes. They were all looking up something. Valkyrie also looked up and gasped in surprise and hope as the Milanowas carried by a woman in a blue, gold, and red suit. The woman landed the spacecraft on the grass.

The landing gears deployed as they touch down. The entry hatch opened, and Tony and Nebula walkout. Tony was supported by Nebula. Steve ran to Tony to help him stand up. Tony gripped Steve's arm as he joined him.

"Couldn't stop him." Tony stated weakly.

Rodgers pressed his lips tight, "Neither could I."

"I lost the kid." Tony said frantically.

"Tony, we lost."

"Is, uh...?" Tony struggled to ask about Pepper, fearing the worst had happened.

Pepper Potts ran past Valkyrie to Tony's side, "Oh, my God! Oh, my God!" Pepper and Tony embraced.

"It's okay." Tony whispered the white lie in Pepper's ear. Pepper didn't correct him.

Valkyrie swallowed, her hope vanishing as only Nebula and Stark appeared. By this time, Rocket had also come out of the Compound to see what was going on. Rocket sat down next to Nebula and took her hand.

Upon seeing that her half-brother, no. Brother. That her brother wasn't there she turned away, tears in her eyes, and made her way silently back into the Compound without talking to anyone.

* * *

The group of heroes who survived the snap sat in a living room area in the Avengers Compound. Tony is sitting at a table, getting blood for healing. A holographic casualty report lists the names and faces of those lost to the Decimation.

"It's been 23 days since Thanos came to Earth." Rhodes stated. Valkyrie had time to ask everyone their names and superhero names, but didn't really get to know everyone besides that, having kept to herself most of the time. So, she had no idea how everyone knew each other. She did figure out that Pepper Potts and Stark were together.

"World governments are in pieces." Romanoff stated emotionlessly, "The parts that are still working are trying to take a census. And it looks like he did... he did exactly what he said he was gonna do. Thanos wiped out fifty percent, of all living creatures."

Stark let out a shaky breath, "Where is he now? Where?"

Rodgers shook his head, "We don't know. He just opened a portal and walked through."

"What's wrong with him?" Stark asked, motioning to a sullen-looking Thor who was sitting on a bench, in deep thought, not aware of the conversation around him.

"Oh, he's pissed." Rocket stated, "He thinks he failed. Which of course he did, but you know there's a lot of that's going around, ain't there?"

Stark's eyes blinked, as if he had just noticed Rocket, ""Honestly, until this exact second, I thought you were a Build-A-Bear."

"Maybe I am." Rocket shot back.

"We've been hunting Thanos for three weeks now." Rodgers stated, turning the conversation around to the original topic, "Deep Space scans, and satellites, and we got nothing. Tony, you fought him."

Stark looked puzzled, "Who told you that? I didn't fight him. No, he wiped my face with a planet while the Bleecker Street Magician gave away the store. That's what happened. There was no fight."

"Okay."

"He's unbeatable."

"Did he give you any clues, any coordinates, anything?"

Stark snorte, "Pfft! I saw this coming a few years back. I had a vision. I didn't wanna believe it. Thought I was dreaming."

"Tony, I'm gonna need you to focus."

"And I needed you. As in past tense. That trumps what you need. It's too late buddy. Sorry. You know what I need?" Tony stood up, pushed things off the table with a clatter to get a better footing. Everyone winces at the noise. "I need to shave. And I believe I remember telling all youse-"

Tony lunged for Steve. Rhodey quickly comes in front of him, trying to stop him. Valkyrie watched this all going down from a chair in the corner of the room.

Rhodney shouted, Tony, Tony, Tony!"

"Alive and otherwise what we needed was a suit of armor around the world! Remember that? Whether it impacted our precious freedoms or not- that's what we needed!" Stark ranted.

"Well, that didn't work out, did it?"

"I said, 'we'd lose'. You said, 'We'll do that together too.' And guess what, Cap? We lost. And you weren't there. But that's what we do, right? Our best work after the fact? We're the Avengers, we're the Avengers. Not the Prevengers." Stark breathlessly stated.

"Okay." Rhodeny said, hands on both of Stark's shoulders.

"Right?" Stark asked.

"You made your point. Just sit down." Rhodeny stated.

"Okay…"

"Okay?"

"Nah, nah. Here's my point. You know what?"

"Tony, you're sick." Rhodeny stated, concerned.

"She's great, by the way." Valkyrie knew that Stark meant Danvers.

"Sit down. Sit."

"We need you. You're new blood. Bunch of tired old mules!" Tony walked right up to Steve's face, his voice hushing down to a venomous whisper, "I got nothing for you, Cap! I got no coordinates, no clues, no strategies, no options. Zero. Zip. Nada. No trust. Liar."

Steve looks affected by Tony's words. The old friends just gaze at each other. After a moment, Tony rips his Arc Reactor from his chest and shoves it into Steve's hand, "Here, take this. You find him, and you put that on. You hide."

Tony fell to the ground. Steve was immediately by his side and everyone is starting to gather closer to the two of them. Valkyrie just sat watching.

"Tony!" Rodgers called out.

"I'm fine. I…" Stark began and then fell into a heap, unconscious.

* * *

It was later in the night. Banner had given Tony a sedative. Tony was asleep on a bed. Pepper was sitting at his side, holding his hand.

Rodney walked out of the room, closing the door softly behind him and into the living-room area, "Bruce gave him a sedative. He's gonna probably be out for the rest of the day."

Danvers spoke up, "You guys take care of him. And I'll bring him a Xorrian Elixir when I come back." She began to walk away.

"Where are you going?" Romanoff asked.

"To kill Thanos." Danvers replied.

Rogers and Romanoff shared a look before walking after her. Valkyrie heard what she said and got up out of the chair to follow.

"Hey," Romanoff stated, "You know, we usually work as a team here, and between you and I, morale's a little fragile."

"We realize up there is more your territory, but this is our fight too." Rodgers stated.

Valkyrie chose this moment to cut in, "He destroyed my homeworld, Danvers. He decimated Xandar for a stone. And this was before the snap. I also have more experience facing gods." Valkyrie stated, thinking back to her father who was a Celestial and wishing that she still had some of that power, "I'm coming with you."

Danvers turned to Valkyrie while the others were shocked that Valkyrie spoke up, "He's not a god. Just a man with more power than he should have."

"Do you even know where he is?" Rhodes asked.

"I know people who might."

Nebula stood behind Danvers, "Don't bother." Nebula looked around the room as all eyes went to her, "I can tell you where Thanos is. Thanos spent a long time trying to perfect me. And when he worked, he talked about his great plan. Even disassembled, I wanted to please him. I'd ask 'where would we go once his plan was complete?.' His answer was always the same: 'To the Garden.'"

Rhodey snorted, "That's cute, Thanos has a retirement plan."

"So where is he?" Rodgers asked.

"When Thanos snapped his fingers, Earth became ground zero for a power surge of ridiculously cosmic proportions." Rocket stated, "No one's ever seen anything like it... Until two days ago." A hologram of a planet pops up, with a shockwave visibly traversing the surface, "On this planet."

"Thanos is there." Valkyrie stated.

"He used the stones again." Romanoff concluded.

"Hey, hey, hey." Banner protested, "We'd be going in short-handed, you know."

"Look," Rhodey started, "He's still got the stones, so…"

Danvers tilted her head to the side, "So let's get him... use them to bring everyone back."

"Just like that?" Rhodey asked, startled that it could be that easy of a plan.

Rogers nodded, "Yeah, just like that." Rogers and Danvers shared a knowing look.

"Even if there's a small chance that we can undo this…" Romanoff stated, "I mean we owe it to everyone who's not in this room to try."

"If we do this, how do we know it's gonna end any differently than it did before?" Banner asked.

Danvers smirked, "Because before, you didn't have me."

Rhodey held out a hand, protesting, "Hey, new girl, everyone here is about that superhero life. And if you don't mind my asking, where the hell have you been all this time?"

"There are a lot of other planets in the universe." Danvers stated, "And unfortunately, they didn't have you guys."

Thor, who was eating a snack behind the group all this time, stood up and walked over to Danvers. She looked behind at him. He held his hand up and caught Stormbreaker as it flies over to him, missing Danvers by inches. But Danvers doesn't even flinch, instead smiled at the God of Thunder.

Thor smiled, "I like this one."

"Let's go get this son of a bitch." Rogers proclaimed.

* * *

 **Above Earth in the Milano**

Everyone except for Stark and Potts were strapped into seats in the Milano. Valkyrie and Rocket were co-pilots, Valkyrie taking the seat that was supposed to be Peter's.

"Okay, who here hasn't been to space?" Rocket asked the group. Romanoff, Rogers, and Rodney raised their hands.

"Why?" Rodney asked.

Rocket stared back at the three who had raised their hands, "You better not throw up on my ship."

At that, Valkyrie tensed. It was Peter's ship. Peter's, not Rocket's. She looked down at the controls and sighed. Then announced, "Approaching jump in three... two... one!"

The ship jumps forward into a wormhole. Romanoff, Rogers, and Rodney held onto their seats for dear life. Their eyes show them widening slightly at the exhilaration of this new experience. Valkyrie could see everything from the reflection of the ship's window and rolled her eyes. Newbies.

The ship slowed down and hovered in orbit of the planet that seen in the hologram previously. Danvers hovered in front of the Milano

"I'll head down for recon." Danvers spoke into the headset.

Everyone began preparing for the immediate confrontation. Valkyrie triple-checked the ammunition in her guns.

"This is gonna work, Steve." Romanoff stated quietly to Rogers.

Rogers looked grim, "I know it will. 'Cause I don't know what I'm going to do if it doesn't."

Danvers approached the Milano again, "No satellites, no ships, no armies, no ground defenses of any kind. It's just him."

"And that's enough." Nebula hissed.

Lush tropical fauna surrounded a shed on a farm. A scarecrow made of Thanos' armor is up as if it were a monument.

Suddenly, Danvers flew through the roof, knocked Thanos down, and grabbed his neck. Banner stormed in the Hulkbuster and armor bursts from the ground, grabs Thanos' Infinity Gauntlet flew in and slices off the Infinity Gauntlet. Rhodey flew down with Rocket and aims guns on Thanos' head.

Rogers walked in with Natasha on his right and Valkyrie on his left, all of them staring murderously at Thanos. Rocket goes over to the sliced off Infinity Gauntlet and kicks it over, as everyone realizes that there are no stones in it.

"Oh no." Rocket breathed.

Valkyrie stormed up to Thanos, putting the barrel of her gun on Thanos's head, "Where are they?"

"Answer the question!" Danvers snapped.

"The universe required correction." Thanos began, "After that, the stones served no purpose, beyond temptation."

"You murdered trillions!" Banner pushed him to the ground wearing Hulkbuster armor of Stark's design.

Thanos shook his head, "You should be grateful." Thanos was immediately punched by Hulkbuster.

"Where are the Stones?" Valkyrie repeated, her voice quiet but menacingly.

"Gone. Reduced to atoms."

"You used them two days ago!" Banner exclaimed, not believing Thanos.

"I used the stones to destroy the stones. It nearly killed me. But the work is done. It always will be." Thanos sat himself a little straighter. "I am... inevitable."

"We have to tear this place apart, he-he-he has to be lying," Rodney stated, beginning to panic.

"My father is many things. A liar is not one of them." Nebula proclaimed.

"Ah, thank you, daughter." Nebula looked down, a little uncomfortable. Thanos continued, "Perhaps I treated you too harshly."

Thor's face filled with rage as he raised to summon Stormbreaker, and before anyone can stop him, he slices Thanos' head off. Thanos' limp body falls to the floor. Nebula wipes off some of the blood spatter.

Everyone stared at Thor in horror, "What... What did you do?"

Thor looks broken, realizing what he had just done, "I went for the head."

* * *

 **Posted: December 20th, 2019**

 **Next Update: December 21st, 2019**


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Five Years Later**

Valkyrie had decided to stay on Earth. It was the last connection she had to her brother. Of course, Pepper Potts had offered her a room in the Compound. She had been grateful for the offer but had only accepted it two years later.

After the failed mission, the rest of the Avengers and Guardians had decided that they had to do all they could to keep the world from falling apart even more. Nebula, Rocket, and Danvers left to tend to the rest of the universe while she stayed on earth with the other Avengers.

Valkyrie had left a week after the failed mission to go visit Peter's home state and to see if there was any of his extended family left. Pepper had given her names and addresses ahead of time, so all she had to do was track them down. She had found out that Meridith Quill had a brother named George Quill. George had married and had four kids. The ages ranged from ten to eighteen.

She had found George Quill in St. Charles, Missouri. His wife had snapped along with three of his children. She stayed with them for two years, playing the role of a babysitter for the youngest daughter, Johanna, until she decided that it was time to check in on the Avengers.

* * *

 **Avenger's Compound**

 _Two Years Since the Snap_

Valkyrie shrugged off her denim jacket onto the edge of the bottom of her bed in her room. She hadn't been back here in two years and Valkyrie was a little hesitant. Would everyone still want her? She practically abandoned her teammates when they were still trying to hold together civilization in the wake of Thanos.

There was a knock on the door. Valkyrie tensed and called, "Come in." The door opened and in walked Rhodes. Er, James. She had spent the past two years trying to get rid of her habit from the military of calling people by their last names. So far, it only worked while she was conscious of it, "James." She said in surprise, not expecting to see any of the team until dinner.

James Rhodes, AKA War Machine, was standing hesitantly in the center of the doorway. The bracers that Tony had made him holding him up, "Um, Nat, Steve and I are ordering take-out but can't come to an agreement of what to order. Uh, do you prefer Chines or Sushi?"

Valkyrie blinked. Then blinked again. She answered in a soft voice, "Um, Chinese. Johanna introduced me to different Terrin cuisine and that was my favorite."

James smiled, "Well then, Chinese food it is. Oh, and since today is Friday, we normally have to takeout in the living room and pick a movie to watch. It's informal. Team building." James stated awkwardly.

Valkyrie pressed her lips into a smile. They were trying, "Will there be popcorn?" She had also learned from Johanna that popcorn was the best movie food period. Having anything else was practically criminal.

James blinked, "Of course. Who watches a movie without popcorn?"

"Well then, I'll be there."

* * *

 **Tony's Cabin**

 _Four Years Since the Snap_

Since the first night back at the Avenger's Compound, it seemed like James would follow her around like a lost puppy. It was super annoying at first, but as she got to know each of the Avengers that were left, she came to appreciate James more and more.

It took James five months to ask her out. He kept on freezing mid-sentence and turn the conversation elsewhere or simply leave the conversation altogether. The other two, Nat and Steve found the dance hilarious.

It was mid-February when James finally broke down and asked her out to dinner. At first, Valkyrie couldn't understand what James was asking because he was talking at a hundred miles per hour, but she got him to slow down and ask properly. They've been inseparable since.

James and Valkyrie had been together now for almost two years. During that time, Valkyrie was officially made one of Terra's Avengers. She went on missions for Steve and sometimes went on missions for Wakanda.

Today, James had picked up Valkyrie in his car and this time was heading away from the city, deeper into New York. Valkyrie turned and asked, "We aren't headed to New York City."

"Yup." James replied, grinning.

"Are you going to tell me where we are going?"

"Nope."

Valkyrie gave an overdramatic huff and crossed her arms, "Do I have to be worried."

James gave her a side glance, "You don't have to be worried about a thing."

It took them twenty more minutes until they pulled off onto a gravel-like road that lasted about a mile into a forest. The trees finally opened into a clearing to see a log cabin type house by a lake. Valkyrie blinked, "Who lives here?"

"It's time for you to officially meet my best friend. Tony." The porch door opened up to reveal a three-year-old toddler who waddled her way excitedly to James who had gotten out of the driver's side.

The little one plowed into Jame's legs, holding on for dear life, "Uncle Rodney!"

Valkyrie glanced at James and mouthed in confusion, "Rodney?"

James mouthed back, "Old nickname." Then he patted the little girl on the head, "Hey squirt. How've you been?"

"The best!" And then she went on to question James in a hundred miles per minute until Valkyrie couldn't understand her. The toddler then turned and pointed at her, "Who's she?"

James smiled, "This is my girlfriend, Valkyrie Rael. Or Val for short. Val, this little devil is Morgan. Tony and Pepper's four-year-old."

"Four and a half." Morgan snarked back. Then she broke away from James to come and stare up inquisitively at Valkyrie, "What's his favorite color."

Valkyrie smirked at James, knowing what the little girl was doing. James just looked mortified. Valkyrie knelt down to be eye-level with Morgan, "Green."

"Favorite food."

"Peni a la Vodka. Favorite comfort food is Mac and Cheese and favorite candy is Smarties."

Morgan hummed as if analyzing her response. Then asked her with big eyes, "Where is he ticklish the most?"

James choked.

Valkyrie laughed and then shared a conspiratorial glance with Morgan, "Beneath his right foot. Works every time."

Morgan crossed her arms to her chest in an adorable pose then declared, "She's good."

The screendoor burst open to reveal a frantic Pepper Potts, "Morgan! There you are! Oh, James. You've arrived."

"Yes. Morgan here has been terrorizing, sorry, interrogating, Valkyrie." James replied as Valkyrie stood back up to face Pepper.

"Oh, I'm sorry. She heard the car in the driveway and bolted. I told her you were coming over and bringing a plus one. She's been hyper since." Pepper turned to Valkyrie, "I hope she hasn't bothered you."

"It's okay Ms. Potts. Morgan and I were just getting to know each other." Valkyrie asked, sharing an obvious wink with Morgan. Morgan smirked.

"It's Pepper, please. I'm sorry to say that the last time we met I didn't introduce myself properly." Pepper Potts, stook out her hand, "It's nice to officially meet you, Valkyrie."

Valkyrie shook the hand, "Valkyrie Rael. Or Val, if you like. From Xandar. I was one of the Guardians of the Galaxy before… well, before. Now I help out the Avengers."

Pepper tensed a bit then relaxed, "Well, I was just finishing the final touches of dinner. Why don't you two come inside? Morgan, can you coax your Daddy out of the shed? He's been in there all week creating something. Every time I go near it he won't let me in."

Morgan smiled and took off running, her long brown hair flowing behind her as she ran.

* * *

It was after dinner and the four adults were sitting on the deck watching the sunset over the lake, "I can see why you don't want to leave this place." Valkyrie stated to Tony, "It's peaceful." Pepper had put Morgan to bed an hour ago and had gotten beers for Tony and James along with White Wine for her and Val.

Tony sighed, "Yes. It is." Tony glanced at James and then back out across the lake.

James cleared his throat, "Val?"

Valkyrie looked over to her boyfriend, "Yes?" She could tell that he was nervous about something.

He stood up and then with some difficulty, bent down onto one knee. Valkyrie had watched enough Earth movies with Joanna to know that this was a proposal. Her eyes went wide and she froze in shock as James took out a small black box that Val had seen Tony slip him earlier in the night, "I've gotten to know you over these past two years. You're brilliant, kind, and hell of a fighter. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Valkyrie stared at James, her heart racing. It wasn't until Pepper cleared her throat when she shook out of her shock and responded with a loud, "Yes!" She slid out of her chair and into Jame's arms and kissed him for all he was worthwhile Tony and Pepper sat beside them smiling.

* * *

 **Wakanda**

 _Four and a half Years Since the Snap_

The wedding would be in Wakanda. James and Valkyrie had asked Okoye if it was possible to hold it in Wakanda and she agreed, stating that it would give people something to be excited about. Okoye said that in return for holding the wedding in Wakanda, any Wakandan civilian who wanted to could attend. At that, James and Val had a long chat and eventually agreed that people needed something to look forward to.

Tony already wanted to broadcast the wedding. It was a big deal. Two Avengers were getting married to each other. It would be a circus. Since Tony and Pepper's wedding wasn't televised and was small, so the media was circling like sharks. It wasn't until Tony had to personally hold a press conference and announce that Stark Industry media crew would be the only media allowed to film and to attend did it eventually die down.

Valkyrie was currently in her guest room in the palace getting her hair done. It was an hour till the ceremony began and would be on the grass outside of the city. She had chosen Pepper Potts as her matron of honor and Natasha Romanoff as a Bridesmaid. James had chosen Tony Stark as his Best Man and Steve Rogers as a Groomsman. Okoye was officiating the ceremony.

Val had flown out George Quill and Johanna earlier. It was decided that George would walk her down the aisle and Joanna and Morgan would share flower girl duties.

A knock on the door, "Come in."

Pepper Potts walked in with a blue dress that went down to her ankles and her red hair up in a bun, "Hey, how's the Bride doing?"

"Panicking." Valkyrie responded, "I never expected this many people." Val motioned to the tablet that was set up next to the vanity that showed news coverage of wedding guests arriving in the hundreds.

Pepper sighed, "I was lucky. Tony and I just eloped. We didn't have a big ceremony. Only had James there as a witness and Best Man. The world needs something positive."

"And I agree. But why does it have to be _my_ wedding?" Valkyrie practically wined.

Pepper forced a smile, "You're an Avenger now. That makes you famous on Earth. And an Avenger wedding… that's almost as big of a deal as Tony and I getting married. If it makes you feel better, the reception is only for close family and friends."

Valkyrie sighed and closed her eyes, "I guess. I just wish my family from Xandar was still alive and here."

"I know sweetheart." Pepper stated, rubbing Val's back, "We all miss loved ones that _he_ destroyed. But they wouldn't want you upset like this at your wedding. I'm sure that wherever they are, they are looking down on this day and happy that you found love."

Valkyrie opened her eyes and looked at Pepper, "Thanks." She said with a teary smile.

"Now, let's touch up your make-up and get you married."

* * *

Valkyrie and James stood on the stage in front of Okoye as she stated, "I welcome everybody to Wakanda to celebrate the union of Valkyrie Rael and James Rhodes. I have been instructed by both the Bride and Groom to make this short, so I'll just skip to the meat of the ceremony."

There was murmuring but no-one outwardly rejected this.

"The Bride and Groom are taking a brave step forward in their relationship. Today they will

make the ultimate commitment to each other, a commitment which is the ultimate expression of love. They have decided to commit themselves to one another's hearts, to share in all of life's incredible moments, and to help assist in making each other's dreams realities. These two have more fun together than they ever thought would be possible with another human being, they're smart people, and kickass fighters."

The crowd laughed and Okoye continued, "Once you find somebody who makes every single day of your life better, who makes every single day more enjoyable, you have to hold on to that person." Okoye took a deep breath, "Wedding rings are a symbol of commitment and love. The rings are circular, like their love, with no beginning and no end. They represent what has been and what will always be. They are made of solid, sturdy material which is meant to survive years and years of hand-holding, washing dishes, swimming, painting, wood-working, rock climbing, fighting battles, and tender caresses. Couples wear their wedding rings every day as a symbol of their love. Who has the rings?"

Tony nudged Morgan and Morgan nudged Joanna. Both the flower girls handed two black boxes to Valkyrie and James, "James, you will go first. Please place Valkyrie's ring on the tip of her ring finger and repeat after me. Bride. I love you. My heart is in this ring. My love is in this ring. I give you this ring as a symbol of my love. I promise to be your faithful husband to love you when the sun shines and when the rain falls in sickness and in health when you look at this ring think of me and remember that I love you always." James repeated the statements in chunks as Okoye instructed him to.

Okoye stated, "You may slide the ring all the way onto her finger."

James took the ring that Tony made and shakily put it onto Valkyie's ring finger. Val gave a watery smile.

"Valkyrie, it is your turn."

"Repeat after me." Okoye stated.

Valkyrie smirked, "Repeat after me." The crowd went hysterical with laughter.

Okoye sighed, "Thank you for my beautiful ring. I love you. My heart is in this ring. My love is in this ring. I give you this ring as a symbol of my love. I promise to be your faithful wife to

love you when the sun shines and when the rain falls. In sickness and in health. When you

look at this ring. think of me, and remember that I love you always." Valkyrie repeated it word for word, meaning everything she said. Valkyrie slipped Jame's ring onto his ring finger. That ring was also made by Tony.

Both rings had an engraving on the inside with the date of the wedding.

"It has been my honor to officiate your ceremony today. By the power invested in me by Bast, as well as the State of New York, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

James took Valkyrie in a hug and planted a long kiss on her that lasted at least two minutes. The crowd went crazy.

* * *

 _ **Five Years Since the Snap**_

 **Avenger's Compound**

Valkyrie was sitting a chair as a meeting was taking place. James had gone back to work after the honeymoon and had been gone for three weeks on a mission. She missed him.

Natasha had changed her hair between the wedding and now from blond back to red. Rocket was in the middle of giving a status update, "Yeah, we boarded that highly suspect warship Danvers pinged." The meeting was over hologram technology that Wakanda had shared with them, so even the teammates from space could be contacted.

The Avengers in holographic calls from the left to right, respectively was: Nebula and Rocket, Okoye, and Carol who now had a new tomboyish haircut.

"It was an infectious garbage scowl." Nebula stated.

"So, thanks for the hot tip." Rocket turned to Carol with a smirk.

"Well, you were closer." Carol shot back.

"Yeah." Rocket growled, "And now we smell like garbage."

Natasha turned to Okoye, "You get a reading on those tremors?"

"It was a mild subduction under the African plate," Okoye reported.

"Do we have a visual?" Nat asked, "How are we handling it?"

Okoye stared at Natasha, "Nat, it's an earthquake under the ocean. We handle it by not handling it."

Natasha turned to Carol, "Carol, are we seeing you here next month?

Carol sighed, "Not likely."

Rocket snorted, "What, you gonna get another haircut?"

Carol looked irritated, "Listen fur-face, I'm covering a lot of territories. The things that are happening on Earth, are happening everywhere, on thousands of planets."

"All right, all right, that's a good point." Rocket murmured, dejected that he lost the argument, "That's a good point."

"So you might not see me for a long time." Carol warned them.

"Alright." Nat stated, "Uh, well. This channel is always active. So, if anything goes sideways... anyone's making trouble where they shouldn't... comes through me."

Okoye agrees in her language.

"Okay." Rocket agreed.

"Alright." Nat stated, almost relieved that the meeting was over. The Avengers cut off their calls one by one.

Carol looked to James, "Good luck." Then she cut off the call on her side.

Everyone was now off except for James. Nat sighs exhausted, and sits down, as she notices James still online in the call.

"Where are you?" Valkyrie asked her husband.

James looked at Val, "Mexico. The Federales found a room full of bodies. Looks like a bunch of cartel guys. Never even had the chance to get their guns off."

"It's probably a rival gang." Nat stated, looking down at her plate that had a sandwich that Steve had made for her.

James swallowed, "Except it isn't. It's definitely Barton. What he's done here, what he's been doing for the last few years... I mean, the scene that he left…" Nat started to show signs of sadness as she gradually tears up. Valkyrie got up out of her chair and went over to place a comforting hand on her shoulder, "I gotta tell you, there's a part of me that doesn't even want to find him."

In an abrupt moment of silence, she tries to chew her tears and emotional feelings as she eats half of a sandwich. Then, "Will you find out where he's going next?"

"Nat…"

Natasha looked up, tears in her eyes, "Please."

James sighed reluctantly, "Okay." James turned his gaze to Val's, "Love you."

Valkyrie gave a watery smile, "Love you too. Be safe." James turned off the transmission to the communication device.

Nat began to cry as she tries to hold back her tears miserably.

"It's okay." Valkyrie whispered to her, rubbing her back, "We'll find him."

Steve walked into the room looking at the sight of Natasha Romanoff breaking down, "You know I'd offer to cook you dinner but you seem pretty miserable already." Out of nowhere, Steve slumps over a bookshelf, as if that joke was all the energy he currently had.

Nat wiped off the tears off her face, "You here to do your laundry?"

Steve nodded, "And to see friends."

"Clearly, your friend is fine."

"You know I saw a pod of whales when I was coming up the bridge." Steve remarked.

"In the Hudson?" Nat asked, shocked.

Steve hummed in response, "There's fewer ships, cleaner water."

Nat glared at Steve, "You know if you're about to tell me to look on the bright side. Um... I'm about you to hit you in the head with a peanut butter sandwich." Nat jokingly smiled, as Steve does the same.

"Sorry. Force of habit." Steve threw his jacket over the chair then sits down on another chair, opposite Natasha and Valkrie.

"You know, I keep telling everybody they should move on and... grow. Some do. But not us."

Valkyrie pressed her lips together, "Don't you dare insinuate that I have not forgotten what _he_ has done."

Steve held up his hands in a surrender position, "I'm not saying that."

"If I move on, who does this?" Natasha asked.

"Maybe it doesn't need to be done." Steve remarked.

"I used to have nothing." Natasha stated, lost in her thoughts, "And then I got this. This job... this family. And I was... I was better because of it. And even though... they're gone... I'm still trying to be better." Nat looked up at Steve.

Steve smiled, "I think we both need to get a life."

"You first." Nat dared Steve.

A camera footage pops up in front of them, showing Scott Lang with a Van behind him, "Oh! Hi. Hi! Is anyone home? This is Scott Lang. We met a few years ago, at the airport? In Germany? I got really big, and I had my mask on. You wouldn't recognize me."

Steve slowly stood up, shocked, "Is this an old message?"

Nat also stood up, "It's the front gate."

Valkyrie stared at the camera footage, also standing up, "No, it's real-time."

"Ant-Man?" Scott Lang was yelling, "Ant-Man, I know you know that. I need to talk to you guys."

* * *

 **Posted: December 21st, 2019**

 **Next Chapter: December 22nd, 2019**


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: Time Travel**

"Scott. Are you okay?" Steve asked immediately after Scott was situated inside the Avenger's Compound.

"Yeah. I'm fine." Scott struggled to ask about something. Then he finally blurted it out, "Have you ever studied Quantum Physics?"

"Only to make conversation." Nat stated.

"Rocket would know more than me," Valkyrie started, "But isn't it it's own universe or something? I overheard Rocket ranting about a paper that was obviously incorrect and the guy who wrote it should be shot."

Scott looked at Valkyrie with a weird look and then sighed, "Alright. So... five years ago, right before Thanos, I was in a place called the Quantum Realm. The Quantum Realm is like its own microscopic universe. To get in there, you have to be incredibly small. Hope, she's my... She was my…. She was supposed to pull me out. And then Thanos happened, and I got stuck in there."

Nat swallowed at the thought of any of her teammates stuck in an unknown realm for five years, "I'm sorry. That must've been a very long five years."

Scott gave an almost mad laughed, "Yeah, but that's just it. It wasn't. For me, it was five hours."

Steve, Nat, and Val shared a quick bewildered glance.

Scott knew he wasn't making any sense and started to explain it more, "See, the rules of the Quantum Realm aren't like they are up here. Everything is unpredictable. Is that anybody's sandwich? I'm starving." He strides over to pick up Nat's sandwich and bit into it.

"Scott, what are you talking about?" Steve stated seriously.

"What I'm saying is, time works differently in the Quantum Realm. The only problem is right now, we don't have a way to navigate it. But what if we did? I can't stop thinking about it. What if, we could somehow control the chaos, and we could navigate it? What if there was a way to enter the Quantum Realm at a certain point in time but then exit at another point in time? Like... Like before Thanos."

Steve's eyes grew wider and wider as Scott continued talking, "Wait, are you talking about a time machine?"

Scott shook his head, "No. No, of course not. No, not a time machine. It's more like a... Yeah, a time machine. I know it's crazy. But I can't stop thinking about it. There's gotta be some way... There's gotta be...some w... it's crazy."

"Scott, I get e-mails from a raccoon, so nothing sounds crazy anymore." Nat stated, making Valkyrie laugh.

"So who do we talk to about this?" Scott asked.

* * *

 **Tony's Cabin**

Valkyrie was in the passenger seat and Steve was driving. Nat and Scott were in the back of the black Audi which came to a stop a few meters away from Tony and Morgan. Tony was carrying morgan. Tony sighed. He hadn't hoped to see Steve so soon after James and Valkyrie's wedding. He had gotten along with Steve because it had been his best friend's wedding. Now, he gave an air of aloofness.

Steve parked and Nat, Val, and Scott got out of the Audi. Tony's eyes widened when he set eyes on Scott. He specifically remembered his name among the deceased. He put Morgan down and said, "Go to your Mom. Now." Morgan looked up at his serious face and the group of people who had come to see Tony and fled into the house.

* * *

"Now, we know what it sounds like…" Scott was near the end of explaining what had happened to him in the Quantum Relm.

"Tony," Steve spoke up, "After everything you've seen, is anything really impossible?"

"Quantum fluctuation messes with the Planck Scale, which then triggers the Deutsch Proposition. Can we agree on that?" Tony stated.

Scott, Steve, Nat, and Valkyrie all look puzzled.

Tony gave a drink to Steve who stated, "Thank you."

"In Layman's terms, it means you're not coming home." Tony stated.

Scott blinked, "I did."

"No, you accidentally survived. It's a billion to one cosmic fluke. And now you wanna pull off a... What do you call it?"

"A time heist?" Scott declared, doing his best to hide his pride in coming up with a plausible theory for actual Time Travel.

"Yeah, a time heist." Tony shook his head, "Of course, why didn't we think of this before? Oh, because it's laughable? Because it's a pipedream?"

"The Stones are in the past." Scott remarked, "We can go back and get them."

"We can snap our own fingers." Natasha stated.

Valkyrie remarked, "We can bring everyone back."

Tony stared at Steve, "Or screw it up worse than he already has, right?"

"I don't believe we would." Steve said optimistically.

Tony sighed, "Gotta say, sometimes I miss that giddy optimism. However, high hopes won't help if there's no logical, tangible way for me to safely execute said time heist. I believe the most likely outcome would be our collective demise."

"Not if we strictly follow the rules of time travel." Scott stated, "That means no talking to our past selves, no betting on sporting events-"

Tony held up a hand, stopping Scott in his tracks, "I'm gonna stop you right there, Scott. Are you seriously telling me that your plan to save the universe is based on Back To The Future?"

Scott's earlier pride in his discovery vanished immediately to embarrassment, "No."

"Good. You had me worried there. 'Cause that'd be horse shit. That's not how quantum physics works."

"Tony…" Nat sighed, "We have to take a stand."

Tony's voice shook, "We did stand. And yet, here we are."

"I know you got a lot on the line. You got a wife, a daughter. But I lost someone very important to me. A lot of people did." Scott's voice grew louder as he tries to sell his desperation to Tony, "And now, now we have a chance to bring her back. To bring everyone back. And you're telling me that won't even…."

"That's right, Scott, I won't even. I got a kid." Tony stated. As if it was planned Morgan ran up to her Dad from inside. Tony picked her up and put her on his lap.

"Mommy told me to come and save you." Morgan stated.

Tony smiled and poked her nose, "Good job. I'm saved." He turned to face Steve, Nat, Scott, and Valkyrie, "I wish you'd come here to ask me something else. Anything else. Honestly, I... I missed you guys, it was... Oh, and table's set for six."

"Tony, I get it." Steve said, "And I'm happy for you, I really am. But this is a second chance."

Tony shook his head, "I got my second chance right here, Cap. I can't roll the dice again. If you don't talk shop, you can stay for lunch."

Morgan got off of her Dad and walked over to Valkyrie, "Auntie Val! Up!" She lifted her hands up and Valkyrie obliged and picked her up, "You staying for lunch?"

Valkyrie gave a small smile, "I'm sorry, kiddo. I'm busy with work. But, how about the next time I see you, I stay for dinner AND a Sleepover." She looked at Tony, "If that's okay with your Daddy."

Morgan wiggled in her grasp and Valkyrie let her down. Morgan ran back to her Dad and began jumping up and down shouting, "Please, please, please, please!"

Tony looked over Morgan's head, annoyed at how wound up Morgan had become, then looked down into Morgan's eyes, "Sure thing, kiddo."

"Yippie!" Morgan squealed and ran inside, assumably to tell Pepper of the deal.

Tony waited until Nat, Steve, and Scott had gone over by the Audi and then spoke to Valkyrie, "Please. This technology…. This is untested. All theory. Whatever they do…. Please don't…." Tony couldn't say what he was scared of but Valkyrie knew.

Valkyrie gave a sad smile to Tony, "I promise, I won't let them hurt Morgan."

Tony sighed, "Thank you."

Valkyrie got up and hugged Tony who stated, "Be safe." Valkyrie nodded and went over to the car to join the conversation.

"He's scared." Nat stated.

Steve shook his head, "He's not wrong."

"He's scared he's going to lose the family he finally managed to get." Valkyrie stated as the group turned to look at her, "Of course anyone would be scared."

Scott sighed, "Yeah, but I mean, what are we gonna do? We need him. What, are we gonna stop?"

Steve shook his head again, "No, I wanna do it right. We're gonna need a really big brain."

Scott blinked and pointed Incredulously to Tony's house, "Bigger than his?"

* * *

 **Unknown Cafe**

Scott, Nat, Steve, Valkyrie, and Bruce Banner sat at a restaurant booth, "Come on, I feel like I'm the only one eating." Bruce Banner stated, pushing a plate forward, "Try some of that. Have some eggs."

Scott Lang could only blink. He knew it had been five years, but this was just out there, "I'm so confused."

"These are confusing times." Bruce said seriously.

"Right. No, no, that's not what I meant." Scott stated.

"No, I get it. I'm kidding!" Bruce dropped his serious act, "I know. It's crazy. I'm wearing shirts now."

"Yeah! Wh...How? Why?"

"Five years ago, we got our asses beaten. Except it was worse for me. Because I lost twice. First, Hulk lost, then Banner lost. Then, we all lost."

"No one blamed you, Bruce." Nat spoke up.

"I did. For years, I've been treating the Hulk-like he's some kind of disease, something to get rid of. But then I started looking at him as the cure. Eighteen months in a gamma lab. I put the brains and the brawn together. And now look at me. Best of both worlds…."

Three children behind Bruce walk up to him tentatively, "Excuse me, Mr. Hulk?" A little girl asked.

Bruce turned to look at the three children, "Yes?"

"Can we get a photo?"

Bruce smiled, "100%, little person. Come on, step up." Bruce held out the phone to Scott, "You mind?"

Scott took the phone, seemingly still in shock, "Oh, yeah."

"Thanks," Bruce said to Scott, then to the Children, Bruce said, "Say 'green'!" The children and Bruce say Green as Scott snaps the photo, "Did you get that?"

Scott leaned forward to hand back the phone across the table, "Don't you wanna grab one with me? I'm Ant-Man." The children looked at each other confused. Scott finally figured it out, "They're Hulk fans, they don't know Ant-Man. Nobody does."

"Wait, no, no, he feels bad. No, he wants you to...he wants to…" Bruce asked one of the boys, "You want to take a picture with him, right?" The boy shook his head vigorously no.

Scott pointed out, "He's even saying no he doesn't. I get it. I don't want it either."

"But, come on, the kid! But he...but you…." Bruce stated, trying to make Scott feel not left out.

Scott shook his head, "I don't want a picture with them."

Bruce leaned closer to the children, "He's gonna feel bad." Then stated to Scott, "Sorry. They said they'd do it."

Scott shook his head, "I don't want it anymore."

"No, no...you feel bad."

"Just take the goddamn phone." Scott pleaded.

The girl took her phone back, "Thank you, Mr. Hulk."

"No, it's great kids." Bruce stated, "Thank you very much. Hulk out!"

Steve rolled his eyes, "Bruce."

"Dab!" Bruce exclaimed awkwardly.

"Bruce." Steve started again, trying to get back to the topic that they were there for.

"Listen to your Mom. She knows better." Bruce shouted as the kids walked away.

"About we were saying…" Valkyrie sated, tired of this entire interaction.

Bruce nodded seriously, "Right. The whole time travel do-over? Guys, it's outside my area of expertise."

"Well, you pulled this off." Natasha said, "I remember a time when that seemed pretty impossible time, too."

* * *

 **Tony's Cabin**

Tony Stark was in the kitchen washing dishes after dinner. As he finishes the last of them, he stumbles upon a photo of both Stark and Parker, with Parker holding his Stark Internship certificate. His face hardened.

Tony was talking to his computer, generating a holographic model of something he's working on, "Look at a mod inspiration, let me see what check out. So, recommend one last sim before we pack it in for the night. This time, in the shape of a Mobius strip, inverted, please."

F.R.I.D.A.Y stated, "Processing…."

"Give me that eigenvalue. That, particle factoring, and a spectral decomp. That will take a second."

"Just a moment." F.R.I.D.A.Y. replied.

"And don't worry if it doesn't pan out. I'm just kinda -"

"Model rendered."

In a complete shock of amazement, the render comes back as 99.987% successful. Tony falls back, in shock by his life-altering discovery.

Tony stared at the render, still in shock, and sat down in the chair and exclaimed, "Shit!"

A small voice behind him echoed his statement, "Shit." Morgan, who has been hiding behind him all this time, giggled as she repeated the word Tony just uttered.

"What are you doing up, little mess?" Tony whispered.

Morgan Stark grinned evilly and replied, "Shit."

"No, we don't say that." Tony started, "Only Mommy says that word. She coined it, it belongs to her."

Morgan tilted her head sideways, "Why you up?"

"'Cause I got some important shit going on here." Morgan gives Tony a taste of the incredulous look, but it just looked adorable on Morgan, "What do you think? No, I got something on my mind. I got something on my mind."

"Was it Juice Pops?" Morgan stated with a hopeful look. She knew the right looks would get her Dad to do anything she wanted.

"Sure was. That's extortion. Great minds think alike. Juice Pops, exactly was on…" Tony looked back to the model. Then turned back to Morgan, "...my mind."

* * *

Tony had put Morgan back into her bed, "You done? Yeah, now you are." Tony wiped Morgan's lips and pushed her head onto her pillow, "That face goes there."

"Tell me a story."

"A story…" Tony stated, "Once upon a time, Morgoona went to bed. The end."

Morgan giggled, "That's a horrible story."

Tony smiled at their joke, "Come on, that's your favorite story. I love you tons." Tony leaned over and kissed Morgan on the forehead.

"I love you 3000."

"Wow." Tony stated quietly. He turned off the lamp. "3000. That's crazy." He closed the door partway, "Go to bed. Or I'll sell all your toys. Night, night."

* * *

Pepper is reading a book sitting on the couch in the living room. Tony paces in front of the fireplace, "Not that it's a competition, but she loves me 3000. You were somewhere on the low 6 to 900 range." Pepper scoffs.

Tony asked Pepper absentmindedly, "What are you reading?"

Pepper looked down at the book she was holding, "Oh, it's just a book on composting."

"What's new with composting?"

"Just-" Pepper began but Tony cut in.

"I figured it out, by the way."

Pepper put down the book, "You know, just so we're talking about the same thing-"

"Time travel."

Pepper looked amazed at her husband, "What? Wow... That's amazing, and... terrifying."

Tony sighed, "That's right."

"We got really lucky."

"Yeah, I know."

"A lot of people didn't."

Tony shook his head, "No, I can't help everybody."

Pepper smiled sadly, "It sorta seems like you can."

"Not if I stop. I can put a pin in it right now and stop."

"Tony, trying to get you to stop has been one of the few failures of my life."

Tony smiled, "I sometimes feel I should put it in a locked box and drop it at the bottom of a lake... go to bed."

Pepper smiled at her brilliant husband, "But would you be able to rest?"

* * *

 **Chapter Posted: December 22nd, 2019**

 **Next Chapter: December 23rd, 2019**


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: Back in Time**

Valkyrie was standing in a lab in the Avengers Compound. Bruce is fiddling with buttons on a panel. Scott is in his Ant-Man costume in front of his van, with the back open to show the Quantum Tunnel. Nat, Steve, and Valkyrie are beside Bruce

"Okay, here we go. Time travel test number one. Scott, fire up the uhhh... the van thing." Bruce awkwardly stated.

Scott opened the van portal.

"Breakers are set, emergency generators are on standby," Valkyrie reported to Bruce.

"Good. 'Cause if we blow the grid, I don't wanna lose Tiny here in the 1950's." Bruce stated Scott, Nat, Steve, and Valkyrie gave Bruce a panicked look.

Scott's eyes went wide, "Excuse me?"

Nat gave Scott a fake smile, "He's kidding." She leaned closer and said in a hushed tone to Bruce, "You can't say things like that!"

"Just…" Bruce started and then thought better of what he was going to say and replied with, "It was a bad joke."

Valkyrie realized something and whispered to Bruce so Scott wouldn't hear, "You were kidding, right?"

"I have no idea." Bruce whispered back, "We're talking about time travel here. Either it's all a joke, or none of it is." Bruce gave Scott a thumbs up and loudly stated, "We're good! Get your helmet on, Scott. I'm gonna send you back a week, let you walk around for an hour, then bring you back in 10 seconds. Makes sense?"

"Perfectly not confusing." Scott commented.

"Good luck, Scott." Steve told Scott, "You got this."

"You're right. I do, Captain America." Scott claimed confidently.

Bruce pressed a button, and Scott disappeared into the Quantum Tunnel. Valkyrie held her breath, hoping that Scott would be okay.

"On the count of three. Three... two... one!" Bruce pressed a button, and someone in the Ant-Man suit comes back. A teenager in appears out of it.

"Uh, guys?" Teenage Scott Lange stated, super confused as a seemingly lighter voice tone emitted from himself. He didn't realize that he had reverted back to a teenager, "This...this doesn't feel right."

Steve gave Bruce a panicked look, "What is this?"

Bruce looked just as bewildered, "What's going on?"

Nat was stunned, "That...who is that?"

Valkyrie opened her mouth to try to talk, but all that came out was stuttering. Then something clicked, "Oh my god. That's Scott." She brought her hand to cover her mouth, her eyes wide and her entire body tense. What the hell had they done?

Bruce pushed another couple of buttons in a panic, trying to correct the problem, "Hold on."

"Scott?" Nat questioned, her head switching from looking desperate at Scott to glaring at Bruce.

As everyone slowly came to the realization that, yes, that was Scott, the Teenage Scott Lange jumped up and down, "Yes, it's Scott!" He exclaimed, "What happened? I feel good. Less old."

Bruce must have hit the correct buttons in the correct sequence as Teen Scott got sucked back into the quantum tunnel, and it appears to be an old man in the Ant-Man suit. Old Scott Lang hunched over and grabbed his back, "Ow! My back!"

If it was possible, Steve panicked even more, "What is this?"

Bruce waved his hand to get everyone's attention, "Can I get a little space here."

Steve nodded, still shell-shocked. He had thought that the Aliens in New York City was the top bar that was set for being shocked. Apparently he owed himself ten bucks, "Yeah yeah. Can you bring him back?"

"I'm working on it!" Bruce typed frantically on the side of the button pad, trying to pull back Scott. After a moment, another person appears in front of them. This time, it's a baby in the Ant-Man suit.

Steve blinked, "It's a baby." He said seriously.

"It's Scott." Bruce replied.

Valkyrie nodded and spoke to Bruce as if he were a child, "As a baby!" Valkyrie also needed to stop thinking too much into this situation because she did not like the possibilities her brain was coming up with.

Bruce shrugged, "He'll grow."

Steve motioned to Baby Scott Lang exasperatedly, "Bring Scott back!" He yelled.

Bruce motioned to Nat, "When I say kill the power, kill the power."

Nat just blinked, "Oh my god." She rapidly walked near to the generator and stood ready to kill the power.

"And... Kill it!" Bruce ordered. Nat pulled down a lever, and everything shut down. Scott Lang, the normal Scott, gets spewed back out again.

"Somebody peed my pants." Scott stated in a stupor.

Valkyrie breathed out, "Oh thank god."

Scott looked around at his stunned and overwhelmed teammates, "But I don't know if it was baby me or old me...Or just me, me."

Bruce held up his hands in a dramatic way, excited at all the new possibilities, "Time travel!"

Steve said nothing. He simply shook his head and walked away. Nat followed him.

Bruce looked around, confused as to why Steve and Nat were acting like that. Weren't they the ones who agreed to this idea in the first place? "What? I..I see this as an absolute win!"

Valkyrie sighed, "Bruce, I think you stunned them. The…. All the possibilities that we now have…. This is a very dangerous tool and we need to make sure only the right people even know it exists."

* * *

Valkyrie eventually made her way outside to find Steve sitting outside the entrance to the Avengers Compound, staring at the floor in deep thought. He didn't speak when Val sat down next to him. She looked out over the grounds and then started, "This is the craziest plan that I've been apart of." A pause, then, "And I've ran with the Guardians of the Galaxy. I've seen some crazy shit. I've taken out zealous warlords," Ronan, "Held onto the Power Stone without a case around it and defeated a Celestial being who happened to be my father."

At that Steve looked up at her. She had never told anyone but James the complete version of that story. Val always said it was a Celestial, but left out the part of Ego being her and Peter's father. She snorted and looked away from Steve, "Time travel. All the different possibilities… and they are at our fingertips."

Her voice shook, "I could go back to seven year old me and teach myself maths. I could go back to 2014 and stop Ronan's grab for the Power Stone." She looked into Steve's blue eyes, "I could go back to right before _Him_ and stop _Him_ from destroying Xandar." She breathed out a long sigh, "We could fix the snap."

Steve looked like he was going to say something but then a deafening noise breaks the silence in the distance. Both Val and Steve turned and looked as an Audi R8 came speeding towards the entrance of the Compound. The car pulls over to them, but goes a bit too far, then reverses back to them. Tony Stark rolled down the window and look at the two.

"Why the long face?" Tony asked, "Let me guess: He turned into a baby."

"Among other things, yeah." Steve stated, "What are you doing here?"

Tony got out of the car, and walked around to the back, ignoring Steve's question, "That's the EPR Paradox. Instead of pushing Lang through time, you might've wound up pushing time through Lang. It's tricky. Dangerous. Somebody shoulda cautioned you against it."

Valkyrie blinked, "You did."

Tony snorted, "Oh, did I? Thank god I'm here. Regardless, I fixed it." Tony held up his right hand, with a device on it, showing it off, "A fully functioning Time-Space GPS. I just want peace." Tony made a peace sign with his fingers, "Turns out, resentment is corrosive, and I hate it."

Steve let out a small smile, "Me too." Valkyrie remained quiet, feeling a bit out of place. This conversation was well overdue and she didn't want to distract them from trying to fix their relationship.

"We got a shot at getting these stones, but I gotta tell you my priorities: Bring back what we lost? I hope, yes. Keep what I got? I have to, at all costs. And... maybe not die trying will be nice."

Steve nodded, "Sounds like a deal." Steve reaches out his hand to shake in the deal, in which Tony replies in the same way.. Tony reaches back into his trunk to pull something else out, Captain America's Shield. He makes to give it to Steve, who hesitates.

Steve swallowed, his mind flashed back to Siberia, "Tony…"

"Why?" Tony questioned, "He made it for you. Plus, honestly, I have to get it out of the garage before Morgan takes it sledding."

Steve fit his arm into the shield and held it out so he could look at it. Then he looked back up at Tony, "Thank you, Tony."

"Will you keep that a little quiet? Didn't bring one for the whole team." Tony hesitated, "...We are getting the whole team, yeah?"

"We're working on that right now."

* * *

Valkyrie was in the room where the conference calls normally took place. She typed in Jame's contact information, excited about being the one to tell him the news. Jame's body appeared in the hologram imaging system, "Valkyrie. This isn't the regular check-in time, what's wrong?"

Valkyrie began to smile, "We can fix it."

James frowned, "What?"

Val's smile grew, "The snap. We found a way to reverse the snap."

Jame's eyes widened and he breathed out, "How?"

Valkyrie felt a presence and knew that Tony had come up beside her. She knew that he could not brag to his best friend. Tony answered for her with a gigantic smirk, "How, Rodney Bear? I discovered Time Travel."

James blinked, "I-I…." Then collapsed in a dead faint.

Valkyrie sighed as Tony exclaimed, "Yes!" He turned to Val, "Pay up! Twenty dollars." He held out his hand mimicking the 'give me' motion with his fingers, "Gimme." Val rubbed her forehead… she was beginning to get a headache.

* * *

The Milano landed in the yard of the Avenger's Compound. Valkyrie raced out to greet them as Scott sat having a Taco and some Nachos at a bench. Everything falls out of the Taco as the Milano lands. Nebula and Rocket walk out of the ship, and past Scott to Valkyrie.

"Hey, Valkyrie! Where's Big Green?" Rocket asked.

Scott replied for her, "Uh, Kitchen, I think." To himself as he sees Nebula, "That's awesome."

Nebula spoke into an earpiece, "Rhodey, careful on re-entry. There's an idiot on the landing zone." She walks away. Moments later, just as Scott is getting back to his senses, Rhodey lands right in front of him without warning. This time Scott is so surprised, he drops the whole Taco.

"James!" Valkyrie yelled and jumped up to Jame's suit. The suit arms caught her and held her up as James walked around Scott.

"Oh, God!" Scott shouted.

"What's up, regular-sized man?" James questioned Scott then walked away towards the entrance to the Compound.

Valkyrie laughed, "James, be nice to Scott. He is the one who came up with the Time Travel idea in the first place."

James pouted, "Fine."

As Valkyrie and James walked away, Bruce walks out of the Compound. He saw that Scott had dropped his lunch and he handed two Tacos from his own lunch to Scott. Scott takes it while giving Bruce a puzzling look at this act of kindness.

* * *

 **New Asgard**

Valkyrie decided to go with Bruce, and Rocket to bring back Thor. Valkyrie hadn't seen him since the failed Thanos mission but had heard that he wasn't doing all that well with the guilt.

Bruce sat at the back of a Utility car as Valkyrie drove they traverse the green countryside of Norway. Rocket was in the passenger seat. They pass a sign labeled "WELCOME TO NEW ASGARD, PLEASE DRIVE SLOWLY.". They stopped at a small town on a port. Bruce, Rocket, and Valkyrie got out of the car, and look around at the remaining Asgardians, living like normal humans at a port.

"Kind of a step down from a from a golden palace for an Avenger highness and whatnot." Rocket remarked.

"Hey, have a little compassion, pal." Bruce defended them, "First they've lost Asgard, then half the people. They're probably just happy to have a home." Bruce spotted Valkyrie looking over at him and heads over to her.

"You shouldn't have come!" Valkyrie of Asgard stated, annoyed.

"Ah, Valkyrie! Great to see you, Angry Girl."

Valkyrie noticed Bruce's change of appearance, "I think I liked you better either of the other ways."

Bruce motioned to Rocket, "This is Rocket."

Rocket gave her a two-finger salute, "How you doin'?"

"And this is Valkyrie Rael of Xandar." Bruce motioned to Valkyrie.

Valkyrie waved in response, looking the other Valkyrie up and down, "So, we share the same name." She stated.

Valkyrie of Asgard eyed her also, "So?"

"So, it'll be confusing if someone calls 'Valkyrie' and we both answer. I'll go by Val. Nickname." She explained.

Valkyrie pressed her lips, "Fine with me. I don't see how it matters. Anyway, I'm assuming you're here for Thor." Valkyrie eyed Rocket, "He won't see you."

Bruce winced, "That bad, huh?"

Valkyrie nodded as they walked, "We only see him once a month when he comes for…" She looked over to a pile of kegs of stout and other beer on the side, "...supplies." Val winced at the implication of Thor being an alcoholic. George Quill was actually on the road to one right after the snap, but her presence and one night of arguing and threatening to take Joanna with her had snapped him out of his stupor. Val closed her eyes, she should have been there for Thor to do the same.

Bruce winced, "It's that bad?" Val opened her eyes at the question.

Valkyrie sighed, "Yeah."

* * *

Rocket opened a door, and Bruce, Valkyrie, and Rocket walked through it. Rocket grimaced at the smell. Val gagged and tried not to throw up as Rocket exclaimed, "What the... Woo! Something died in here."

Bruce called out, "Hello? Thor?"

Val heard Thor's voice call back from another room, "Are you here about the cable?" Thor walked into view and Val's jaw dropped at the sight of him. Thor was shirtless and has definitely put on more than a couple of pounds since she last saw him. She swallowed. She could have prevented his spiral.

"The Cinemax ran out about two weeks ago," Thor continued speaking as if he didn't recognize his old teammates, "...and the sports were all kinds of fuzzy." Thor grabbed a beer.

Bruce blinked in shock of the state that Thor was now in, "Thor?"

Thor finally noticed Bruce, Rocket, and Valkyrie standing there. His mood shifted into joy. "BOYS!" Valkyrie blinked but didn't try to correct him. She didn't want an argument, "Oh my God! It's so to see you!" Thor walked over to Rocket, trying to hug him as Rocket tried to shift out of his way, "Come here, you little rascal!"

Rocket was panicking and shaking his head, "No, I'm good. I'm good. That's not necessary."

Thor looked at Bruce, "Hulk, you know my friends, Miek, Korg, right?" Thor motioned to the couch where Miek and Korg sitting on a couch, PlayStation controller in hand, playing Fortnite and eating chips.

"Hey boys!" Korg stated, waving his gigantic rock arms at the visitors in his living room.

Bruce waved back, "Hey guys, long time no see."

"Beer's on the bucket. Feel free to log on to the Wi-Fi. No password, obviously." Korg went back to his game, "Thor, he's back." Korg warned Thor, "The kid on the TV that called me a dickhead again."

"Noobmaster." Thor growled.

"Yeah, Noobmaster69 called me a dickhead," Korg repeated the story again for the sake of the guests.

Thor walked over to Korg, took his headphones, and spoke into the mic, "Noobmaster? Yeah, it's Thor again. You know, the God of Thunder? Listen, buddy. If you don't log off this game immediately, I am gonna fly over to your house, come down to that basement you're hiding in, rip off your arms and shove them up your butt! Oh, that's right. Yes, go cry to your father, you little weasel!"

Thor brings Korg's headphones back to him and smiled in appreciation, "Thank you, Thor."

"Let me know if he bothers you again, okay?"

"Thank you very much. I will." Korg stated.

Thor looked back at the shocked group, "So you guys want a drink? What are you drinking? We have beer, tequila, all sorts of things." Thor used Stormbreaker to open a bottle of beer and started drinking.

Bruce walks to him and places a hand on his shoulder, "Buddy, you all right?"

Thor blinked, " Yes, I'm fine! Why? Don't I look all right?" Thor stumbled but found his footing.

Rocket actually looked concerned for once, "You look like melted ice cream."

Thor laughed in denial, "So, what's up?" Valkyrie decided to stay out of the conversation. Bruce obviously knew Thor long before she did.

Bruce swallowed, "We need your help. There might be a chance we could fix everything."

Thor didn't understand, "What, like the cable?" He let out a loud and smelly burp that had Val's eyes watering, "Cause that's been driving me bananas for weeks."

Bruce braced himself for Thor's reaction, "Like Thanos."

Thor's smile slowly disappeared. He put a shaky hand on Bruce's shoulder and pointed at him, drunkenly, "Don't you say that name."

Korg took a look at the direction that the conversation was going and decided to defend Thor. He stood up and took off his headphones, the computer game completely forgotten. "Um, yeah. We don't actually say that name in here."

Bruce said quietly to Thor, "Please take your hand off me." Thor didn't move so Bruce brushed away Thor's hand, "Now, I know that... guy might scare you."

"Why would I be? Why would, why would I be scared of that guy? I'm the one who killed that guy, remember? Anyone else here killed that guy? Nope. Didn't think so. Korg, why don't you, tell everybody who chopped Thanos' big head off."

"Umm... Stormbreaker?" Korg hesitantly stated.

"Now, who's swingin' Stormbreaker?" Thor replied.

"I get it." Bruce spoke up, "You're in a rough spot, okay? I've been there myself. You wanna know who helped me out of it?"

"I don't know. Is it... Natasha?" Thor asked.

Bruce shook his head, "It was you. You helped me."

Thor walked over and looked out the window and pointed, still holding his beer, "Why don't you ask the Asgardians down there, how much my help was worth." He dropped onto the sofa, defeated, and said with bitterness, "The ones that are left, anyway."

"I think we can bring them back." Bruce said.

"Stop. stop, okay?" Thor opened a packet of M&Ms, "I know you think I'm down here wallowing in my own self-pity, waiting to be rescued and saved. But I'm fine, okay? We're fine, aren't we?"

Korg and Miek were back to eating pizza and playing the game once more, "Nah, all good here, mate."

"So, whatever it is that you're offering, we're not into it, don't care, couldn't care less. Goodbye." Thor replied,

"We need you, pal." Bruce stated in a last-ditch effort.

Thor shook his head and ignored Bruce's plea for help.

Rocket crossed his arms and stated, "There's beer on the ship."

Thor paused, but didn't look up, "What kind?"

* * *

 **Avenger's Compound**

Valkyrie, Bruce Rocket, and Thor had arrived back at the Avenger's Compound. Thor had changed into a hoodie and drinking a beer and was walking through the compound's Testing Chamber.

Tony walked into the room from behind Thor. Tony turned to Thor, "Drifting left. On the side there, Lebowski." Then he spoke to Rocket who was working on something underneath a glass platform, "Ratchet, How's it going?"

Rocket groaned at the mistaken name, "It's Rocket. Take it easy. You're only a genius on Earth, pal."

Valkyrie walked into a side room that had Scott, Bruce, Steve and Rhodey talking. Scott is in a white and red suit, similar to the Ant-Man suit.

James was talking as Val entered, "Time travel suit? Not bad."

Bruce touched the suit and something that looked like red liquid in a glass test tube, " Hey, hey, hey! Easy, easy!"

Bruce gave him a ' _What_?' look, "I'm being very careful."

Scott shook his head, "No, you're being very Hulky."

Bruce stared pointedly at Scott, disagreeing, "I'm being careful."

Scott held up the red glass bottle, explaining to the group what it was as Valkyrie went to stand by James, "These are Pym Particles, alright? And ever since Hank Pym got snapped out of existence, this is it. This is what we have. We're not making any more."

"Scott, calm down." James warned.

Scott winced, "Sorry. We've got enough for one round trip each. That's it. No do-overs. Plus two test runs." Scott accidentally presses a button, and shrinks, and then grows back to his normal size. He looked down, then back up at the group, "One test run."

Valkyrie sighed with exasperation.

* * *

They were back in the testing chamber. Steve, Nat, Tony, Scott, Bruce, Rhodey, Nebula, Rockett, and Valkyrie stood at a control panel, presumably controlling the glass platform, ready to watch the test.

Scott was on top of the glass, but then chickened out at the last second, "All right." Then shook his head, thinking about his previous terrifying experiences with time travel, "I'm not ready for this."

Clint walked into the room, "I'm game. I'll do it."

* * *

A few minutes later, Clint walked in wearing the suit Scott was moments before, the Quantum Suit. Bruce began to explain what was going to happen to Clint, "Clint, now you're gonna feel a little discombobulated from the chronoshift. Don't worry about it."

Clint took a position on the platform.

"Wai-Wait a second, let me ask you something." James stated, making everyone look at him, "If we can do this, you know, go back in time, why don't we just find baby Thanos, you know, and…" He makes a hand gesture suggesting that they strangle baby Thanos with a rope.

Valkyrie swallowed but stated, "I agree." At all the looks, she added, "He killed my entire family."

Bruce winced, disgusted, "First of all, that's horrible…."

James looked at everyone and explained, "It's Thanos."

Bruce shook his head, "...And secondly, time doesn't work that way. Changing the past doesn't change the future."

"Look, we go back, we get the stones before Thanos gets them…" Scott explained, "Thanos doesn't have the stones. Problem solved."

"Bingo." Clint agreed with Scott.

Nebula shook her head, "That's not how it works."

Clint rolled his eyes, "Well, that's what I heard."

"What? By who?" Bruce looked at Clint, "Who told you that?"

James started counting on his fingers, "Star Trek, Terminator, TimeCop, Time After Time-"

Scott chimed in, "Quantum Leap-"

James continued, "A Wrinkle in Time, Somewhere in Time-"

"Hot Tub Time Machine-" Scott jokingly stated.

"Hot Tub Time Machine." James agreed, though looked at Scott strangely, "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. Basically, any movie that deals with time travel."

"Die Hard? No, it's not one ..." Scott stated to himself.

"This is known." James argued.

Bruce sighed, "I don't know why everyone believes that, but that isn't true. Think about it: If you travel to the past, that past becomes your future. And your former present becomes the past. Which can't now be changed by your new future ..."

Nebula nodded in agreement with Bruce, "Exactly."

It took a second, but Scott eventually stated, "So... Back To The Future's a bunch of bullshit?"

Bruce ignored Scott and turned to Clint, "Alright, Clint. We're going in three... two... one!"

A helmet similar to Ant-Man's but white and more visible face pops on Clint's head, and he goes quantum.

Val counted down the ten seconds, "Ten, nine, eight! Seven, six, five, four, three! Two! One!"

Bruce pressed the correct buttons on the control panel and Clint rematerialized on the glass platform, breathing heavily and sitting on the platform.

Nat ran over to Clint and took his helmet off, "Hey, hey. Look at me. You okay?"

Clint was shaking and he held up a baseball glove and threw it to Tony who caught it, "Yeah, it worked. It worked." He breathed out.

* * *

They were in a planning session. Time travel was now possible, so they needed an airtight plan. Nothing could go wrong. The Avengers had been in the room for a while, all laying, sitting, and standing in different locations throughout the room. Hologram displays, showcasing each of the six Infinity Stones, was sitting around a table in the center of the room. A mess of books and papers littered the table.

Tony, Steve, and Bruce are pacing at the front, clearly leading the planning of the mission. Natasha was leaning back in a chair, Rocket was building something, probably weapons, in a corner of the room, half paying attention. Valkyrie and James had moved on a small couch and were sitting together. Valkyrie had a clipboard, paper, and pencil, helping to make a list with James sitting next to her, arm over her shoulder. Scott was sitting on another chair next to Clint and Nebula.

Thor sat in the other corner of the room, not moving from his seat, beer still in hand. Valkyrie had guessed that he had passed out since he hadn't moved in an hour.

Steve was currently speaking, "Okay, so the 'how' works. Now we gotta figure out the when and the where. Almost all of us have had an encounter with at least one of the six Infinity Stones."

"Well, I'd substitute the word encounter for damn well near been killed by one of the six Infinity Stones." Tony replied,

"I haven't, I don't even know what the hell you're all talking about?" Scott asked.

Bruce began to explain, "Regardless, we only have enough Pym Particles for one round trip each, and these stones have been in a lot of different places throughout history."

Tony continued his train of thought, "Our history. So, not a lot of convenient spots to just drop in."

Clint realized something, "Which means we have to pick our targets."

Tony snapped his fingers, "Correct."

Steve started the list, "Let's start with the Aether. Thor, what do you know?"

Everyone turned to look to see Thor sitting on a chair with his sunglasses on. He didn't answer and Val knew that her earlier theory of him being asleep was correct.

Nat narrowed her eyes, "Is he asleep?"

James stated loudly, "No, I'm pretty sure he's dead."

Thor finally woke up, "Where to start? Umm... The Aether, first, is not a stone, someone called it a stone before. It's more of a... an angry sludge thing, so... someones gonna need to amend that. Here's an interesting story though, many years ago... My grandfather had to hide the stones from the Dark Elves…" Thor wiggles his fingers to imitate a spooky ghost, "Wooooh, scary beings. So Jane," An image of Jane Foster popped up on the screen, "Oh, there she is. That's Jane... She's... an old flame of mine... She... she stuck her hand inside a rock this one time... and then the Aether stuck itself inside her... And, she became very, very sick. So I had to take her to Asgard, which is where I'm from. And we had to try and fix her. We were dating at the time, you see. I got to introduce her to my Mother... who's dead," Thor began to look broken, and seems on the verge of tears, "...And oh you know, Jane and I aren't even dating anymore, these things happen though you know, nothing last forever," Tony started to push him back to his chair. "I'm not done yet, the only thing permanent in life is impermanence."

"Awesome." Tony stated, "Eggs? Breakfast?"

"I'd like a Bloody Mary, thank you." Thor replied.

* * *

The Avengers were sitting around a table, eating a meal, and Rocket is pacing on the table in front of everyone, "Quill said he stole the Power Stone from Morag."

"Is that a person?" Scott asked.

Valkyrie responded, "Morag's a planet. Quill, Peter Quill was my half-brother."

Apparently all Scott focused on was the planet, "A planet? Like in outer space?"

"Oh, look. It's like a little puppy, all happy and everything." Rocket imitated talking to a puppy, "Do you wanna go to space? You wanna go to space, puppy? I'll get you to space."

* * *

They were back in the planning room. This time, Nebula was the one doing the explaining. Nat was the one who had taken over writing notes for their plan, "Thanos found the Soul Stone on Vormir."

"What is Vormir?" Natasha asked in a business-like tone.

"A dominion of death, at the very center of Celestial existence. It's where... Thanos murdered my sister." Nat looked up, and an awkward silence falls upon the room. Nat writes what Nebula has just said.

Scott makes to break the awkward moment, "Not it."

Bruce, Tony, Nat and Valkyrie had stayed up later than everyone else had wanted to. They were the only ones still up. Tony and Nat were lying on a table surrounded by papers, and Bruce was lying down on the floor. The Time Stone pops up on the display. Valkyrie sat on a chair, fiddling with her wedding band. Her legs were crossed and she was drinking a soda.

"That Time Stone guy…." Nat began.

Bruce interrupted, "Doctor Strange."

"Yeah, what kind of doctor was he?" Natasha asked.

Tony responded before Bruce could, "Ear-nose-throat meets rabbit from a hat." Valkyrie snorted and Tony sent her a smirk from his position on the table.

"Nice place in the village, though." Bruce remarked.

"Yeah. Sullivan Street." Tony confirmed.

"Hmm... Bleecker." Bruce murmured absentmindedly. At this point, they were all half delirious.

Natasha sat up straight as if she had just figured out something important, "Wait, he lived in New York?"

Tony rolled his eyes, "No. He lived in Toronto."

"Guys, if you pick the right year, there are three stones in New York." Natasha proclaimed in shock.

Bruce sat up in surprise, "Shut the front door."

Valkyrie's eyes widened, "No F-ing way." This would be big.

* * *

It was the next day. Different holograms displayed the different locations of the Soul and Power Stones in space in 2014. The Reality Stone was in Asgard in 2013. And the Space, Mind, and Time Stones in New York City in the year 2012.

"All right." Steve stood in front of the group and to give a speech, "We have a plan. Six Stones, three teams. One-shot."

Steve and the other Avengers walked up and looked at the screens determinedly.

* * *

The Avengers walked in a file to the Quantum Time machine, wearing the Quantum Suits, albeit with some minor differences for different people. James had a bulkier repaint of the War machine armor while Valkyrie had a slimmer one.

Steve made his speech, "Five years ago, we lost. All of us. We lost friends... We lost family... We lost a part of ourselves. Today, we have a chance to take it all back. You know your teams, you know your missions. Get the stones, get them back. One round trip each. No mistakes. No do-overs. Most of us are going somewhere we know. But it doesn't mean we should know what to expect. Be careful. Look out for each other. This is the fight of our lives. And we're gonna win." Tony gives Steve a look and Steve finished, "Whatever it takes. Good luck."

"He's pretty good at that." Rocket stated, meaning Steve's speech,

Scott looked very excited, "Right?"

Tony cleared his throat, "All right. You heard the man. Stroke those keys, jolly green." He ordered.

"Tractors engaged." Bruce stated.

Rocket addressed the shrunken Milano in Clint's hand, "You promise to bring that back in one piece, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. I'll do my best." Clint gave a half-hearted promise.

Rocket rolled his eyes, "As promises go, that was pretty lame."

Natasha smiled excitedly, "See you in a minute."

Valkyrie acknowledged and looked at James, "Good luck. See you on Morag."

James smiled back, "Stay safe."

They all shrank down and entered the Quantum Realm. The Avengers all split off at different intervals, each going to a different place at a different time in history.

* * *

 **Posted: December 23rd, 2019**

 **Next Chapter: December 24th, 2019**


	11. Chapter 10

**A/N: Sorry for the wait. I miscalculated how long it would take to write this chapter. I intended to write it on Monday, but relatives surprised us with a visit for Christmas (parents had a great panic of the house not being clean….), and I didn't get in any chance to finish it till now.**

* * *

 **Chapter 10: 1 out of 14,605**

 **Morag**

 _ **2014**_

Morag was the staging point for the two groups to split. Natasha and Clint would be going to Vormir for the Soul Stone in the Milano that had been un-shrunken by Pym technology. Nebula, James and Valkyrie were staying on Morag to get the Power Stone.

Valkyrie, James and Nebula walked off the Milano just as it finished landing on Morag. James was making fun of Clint as he practiced landing the Milano, "Alright. Bring it down low. Right on that line. That's it. Down, down."

"Hey, can we hurry it up?" Clint remarked, annoyed at Jame's banter.

Nat clapped her hands twice, "Guys, chop-chop. Come on. We're on a clock."

Nebula walked out of the ship, done with her job of putting in the navigational coordinates to Vormir.

"All that, is really helpful." James stated, hugging Natasha, "Take care, okay?"

Nat gave James a smile, "Yeah."

James moved on to Clint, "Take that stone and come back." He gave Clint a pointed look, "No messing around."

"Hey." Clint replied to James, "You got this."

James nodded, "Let's get it done. Yes, sir."

While Jame's goodbyes were taking place, Valkyrie was a second after him. Val hugged Nat tightly, "Don't do anything stupid."

Nat gave a strained smile and replied with a hint of sarcasm, "I've never!"

Val laughed, "Be careful. Thanos was looking for the stones in 2014. I wouldn't put it past him to have spies everywhere."

Nat nodded, "Good thinking. We'll try to be as inconspicuous as possible." She smiled, a genuine smile this time, "Good luck Val."

"You too." Valkyrie replied. Val turned to Clint. She didn't really know that much about him. She knew that he had lost himself after his entire family snapped and that he went around killing bad guys after. But that was it. She nodded at Clint, "Keep her safe."

Clint nodded back, "I will. See you guys back at the compound." Clint and Nat turned around and walked back to the Malino.

"You guys watch each other's six." James called to them.

Clint and Nat look back and just smile, "Yeah."

Clint and Nat walked back into the ship, and the hatch closed. The ship took off via the navigational auto-polit that Nebula had set and sped out of the atmosphere of Morag.

"The coordinates for Vormir are laid in." Nebula remarked to James and Val, "All they have to do is not fall out."

There was silence for a couple of beats, then, "Okay, so, uhh... We just wait around for your brother," James motioned to Val, "…to show up and then he leads us to the Power Stone, is that it?"

Nebula nodded, "Let's take cover. As you mentioned to Natasha, Valkyrie, we're not the only ones in 2014 looking for the stones."

James blinked, "Wait a minute, what are you talking about right now? Who else is looking for these stones?"

Nebula looked at James, "My father, my sister... and me."

"And you?" James glanced at Valkyrie, then back at Nebula, "Where are you right now?"

* * *

It was a bit later. Nebula had explained that she was with her sister fighting off some creatures when they learned that the Power Stone was on Morag, "So, Thanos knows the Power Stone is here."

Nebula nodded, "He sends Gamora after Quill in order to take the stone back." She glanced at Valkyrie, "And she confronts him on Xandar. That's where you come in. You were a guard on the Kyln, a high-security prison."

Val winced when Nebula mentioned Xandar, "Actually, I was a prison commander. And the way I met them was that they kidnapped me."

"Oh, I remember you telling me this story." James remarked, "Didn't you travel to a gigantic head or something?"

Valkyrie laughed, "It is called Knowhere. The entire place is inside the severed head of a celestial being."

"Ah. Because that explains it." James laughed.

* * *

Valkyrie's breath left her as she saw her brother, Peter Quill, dancing to 'Come And Get Your Love.' Nebula, Valkyrie and James were hiding in the background watching Quill dance to their perspective without music.

James just stared at Peter, "So he's an idiot?"

Nebula sighed, "Yeah."

Valkyrie wacked both of their arms, "Hey!" She hissed, "He's still my brother."

"Well then, you're brother's an idiot." James stated, but his eyes were dancing with mirth. He was trying to lighten the mood. Val smiled in appreciation.

James stood up and knocked out Quill. Nebula rummages around to take Quill's tool. Valkyrie knelt to move Peter's hair out of his face, "I'm sorry." She murmured, "We're fixing it, I promise."

James asked Nebula, pointing at the device, "What's that?"

"The tool of a thief." Nebula replied.

* * *

They were now at the location that Peter found the Power Stone. Nebula uses the tool to open the door. Nebula tried to walk in but was stopped by James who put out an arm, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa... This is the part where spikes come out with skeletons on the end and everything..."

Nebula looked at James, confused, "What are you talking about?"

James tried to explain, "When you break into a place called the temple of the Power Stone, There's gonna be a bunch of booby traps-" Nebula apparently had it with James and just shook her head and walked into the room.

James sighed, "Okay. All right. Go ahead."

Valkyrie rubbed James shoulder, "It's okay. Good thinking."

Nebula forced her hand inside the force field protecting The Orb/Power Stone while it melts away the exterior plating on her arm. She successfully retrieves The Orb and hands it to Valkyrie all while James watched the whole thing happened.

Nebula stared at the burnt robotic arm, "I wasn't always like this."

James looked down at the bracers on his legs, "Me either. But we work with what we got, right?"

They just both look at each other solemnly. Val held Jame's hand and gave it a squeeze. "Sync up." Nebula, James and Valkyrie put on their helmets, "Three.. two.. One…."

* * *

 **Avengers Compound, Earth**

Everyone was back on the Quantum platform. All the recovered stones had been recovered.

Bruce asked, "Did we get them all?"

James blinked, "You telling me this'll actually work?"

There's a pause as everyone starts to realize that someone is missing. Not everyone had returned.

Bruce stared at Clint, "Clint, where's Nat?"

The silence from Clint tells them all they need to know. The mission was completed but at a dire cost. Sadness overtakes everyone. Bruce fell to his knees and pounded the floor in grief. Valkyrie's eyes watered. Nat had been one of her best friends after the snap. She sat down on the edge of the Quantum Platform in shock.

* * *

Valkyrie found herself outside, on the grounds of the compound, Lakeside. Tony, Steve, Thor, Clint, Bruce, and Valkyrie were mourning their fallen teammate and friend, "Do we know if she had family?" Tony asked the group after a while of silence.

Steve replied, "Yeah. Us."

Thor looked confused, "What?"

"I just asked him a question…." Tony stated to Thor.

Thor snorted, "Yeah, you're acting like she's dead. Why are we acting like she's dead? We have the stones, right? As long as we have the stones, Cap, we can bring her back, isn't that right?" Thor growled, "So stop this shit. We're the Avengers, get it together."

"We can't get her back." Clint spoke up for the first time since Nat's death.

Thor looked at Clint in shock. Clint was one of his teammates that he was sure would go along with his plan, "Wha- what?"

Clint shook his head, "It can't be undone. It can't."

Thor dryly laughed, "I'm sorry. No offense, but you're a very earthly being. Okay? We're talking about space magic. And 'can't' seems very definitive don't you think?"

Clint looked at Thor. "Look, I know that I'm way outside my paygrade here. But she still isn't here, is she?"

"Now that's my point…." Thor remarked.

Clint shook his head, "It can't... be undone. Or that's at least what the, great floating guy had to say." He began to shout as he talked, "Maybe you wanna go talk to him? Okay? Go grab your hammer, and you go fly and you talk to him!" Clint's anger is quickly replaced with grief. His voice toned down, "It was supposed to be me. She sacrificed her life for that goddamned stone. She bet her life on it."

In a burst of anger, Bruce grabs a bench and hurls it clear across the lake. His anger spent, he turns to the others with a resigned look on his face, "She's not coming back. We have to make it worth it. We have to."

Steve looked determined at the group, "We will."

* * *

They were inside the Avenger's Lab. Tony carefully placed the stones in the gauntlet he made while Bruce, Rocket and Valkyrie watched. With nervous precision, Tony manipulates the machine and carefully places all six stones into the gauntlet.

"Boom!" Rocket exclaimed, a smirk on his face.

Valkyrie rolled her eyes, "Rocket." She sighed.

Tony and Bruce jumped a bit, and quickly groan at Rocket's joke.

* * *

Everyone was gathered in a room next to the lab with the new finished gauntlet. Everyone was gathered around it.

Rocket clapped his hands together, "All right. The glove's ready. Question is, who's gonna snap their freaking fingers?"

"I'll do it." Thor offered, clearly having ulterior motives from his speech this earlier.

Scott looked up at Thor, confused at his sudden helpfulness, "Excuse me?"

Thor smiled, not understanding what Scott meant, "It's okay." He began to walk towards the gauntlet with determination.

Everyone had different reactions. Steve and Bruce went to step in between Thor's path and the gauntlet. Valkyrie held up her hands, "No, no, no, whoa."

"Stop. Stop. Wait a sec." Tony said in a panicked voice, "Hey, hey..."

Steve took charge of the situation, "Wait, wait, Thor, just wait. We haven't decided who's gonna put that on yet.

Thor stopped walking and lowered his head, "I'm sorry. What, we're just sitting around waiting for the right opportunity?"

Scott was the voice of reason, and stated, "We should at least discuss it."

Thor shook his head, "No, no, sitting here staring at that thing is not gonna bring everybody back. I'm the strongest Avenger, okay? So this responsibility falls upon me. It's my duty."

Tony knew the dig was to him, "It's not about that..."

Thor hushed everyone up, "It's not that... Stop it! Just let me!" He teared up, "Just let me do it. Just let me do something good. Something right."

"Look..." Tony started, "It's not just the fact that that glove is channeling enough energy to light up a continent, I'm telling you, you're in no condition."

"What do you…. What do you think is coursing through my veins right now?" Thor asked the group.

"Cheez Whiz?" James stated, completely serious.

"Lightning."

Tony sighed, "Yeah."

"Lightning won't help you, pal." Bruce stated, "It's gotta be me." Thor let go of Tony, "You saw what those stones did to Thanos. It almost killed him. None of you could survive."

"How do we know you will?" Steve asked.

"We don't." Bruce responded, "But the radiation's mostly gamma." Bruce took a good look at the gauntlet, "It's like...uh...I was made for this."

Tony looked around the room, waiting for an argument. Then, after silence, he stated, "Good to go, yeah?"

"Let's do it."

"You remember... everyone Thanos snapped away five years ago and just bringing them back to now, today. Don't change anything from the last five years." Tony ordered Bruce.

"Got it." Bruce stated.

* * *

Everyone got ready for using the stones. They changed out of their Quantum suits and into their regular battle outfits.

To F.R.I.D.A.Y. Tony ordered, "F.R.I.D.A.Y., do me a favor and activate Barn Door Protocol. Will you?"

"Yes, boss." F.R.I.D.A.Y. replied. The Avengers facility went on lockdown.

"Everybody comes home." Bruce stated, determined. Bruce put on the gauntlet, which nonerotically expands to fit his hand, and the power surge overwhelms him. He grunts in excruciating pain. Valkyrie bit her lip till it bled.

"Take it off!" Thor yelled in a panic, another one of his friends was going to die and he couldn't stop it, "Take it off!"

Steve held out a hand as if to stop Thor, "No, wait. Bruce, are you okay?"

Tony got as close to Bruce as he dared, "Talk to me, Banner."

"I'm okay." Bruce panted, "I'm okay."

Thor gave a double thumbs up. Bruce screams, fighting through the intense pain coursing through his body courtesy of the gauntlet, and manages to snap his fingers. He faints and the gauntlet slides off his arm, Clint kicks it away.

"Bruce!" Steve yelled and went to go toward him.

"Don't move him." Tony commanded, making Steve halt in his tracks.

Bruce reached up and grabbed onto Steve's arm, "Did it work?" He said with heavy breaths.

"Worth a shot." Thor stated, "It's over. It's okay."

Scott walked towards the outside windows and sees plants and birds.

Clint hears his phone ringing and walked over to the table to see who it was. He struggled to speak from sheer happiness, "Honey. Honey."

"Guys" Scott shouted in joy, "I think it worked!"

"Peter." Valkyrie breathed in happiness. He would be okay.

Bruce opened his eyes and sees the Sanctuary II up in the sky through the glass ceiling. Valkyrie followed his horrified look and she gasped as she saw Thanos's ship hovering above the compound. A single missile heading towards the base blowing away Scott away. Then a continuous array of missiles destroys the base completely and everyone sinks below to the underground.

* * *

Valkyrie's ears were ringing as she felt someone shaking her awake. She groaned and opened her eyes, blinking. Clint's face hovered into view. He held a flashlight. It was dark, but Valkyrie could tell that they were in a tunnel.

She blinked. They shouldn't be in a tunnel. They should be in the lab with everyone else, "You okay?" Clint asked.

Valkyrie stood up and put a hand on Clint's shoulder to steady herself, "Yeah. What happened?"

"Apparently, when you mess with time, it messes back." Clint replied, "You're bleeding." Clint pointed to the gash on Valkyrie's temple, which was bleeding profusely. Cuts littered her arms and she assumed that there were bruises that she couldn't see right now.

"It was Thanos." Valkyrie breathed out. "I saw his ship, the Sanctuary II, above the compound right before the missile attacked."

"Impossible." Clint stated, shaking his head, not wanting to entertain the possibility that Thanos was back.

Val sighed. It would take seeing Thanos again for Clint to believe that he was back, "Let's try to find a way out."

Clint nodded.

* * *

They walked a little while away, "Cap?" Clint asked into his ear communication device.

"The gauntlet." Valkyrie pointed as Clint's light passed over the stones.

Clint picked up the gauntlet. He tensed and froze, "We're not alone." Clint barely whispered. Valkyrie stood back as Clint shot an arrow with light towards the dark tunnel and finds hordes of Outriders.

"Damn." Clint hissed under his breath, "You were right." Clint takes the gauntlet and both Valkyrie and Clint ran towards the opposite direction while the Outriders chased after him.

Clint and Valkyrie were running with the infinity gauntlet. Clint blows the place with his exploding arrows and the two escaped before the Outriders overwhelm them.

"Oh, thank god. Nebula." Valkyrie breathed out at the sight of her friend. "Are you okay?"

"Oh, hey...I know you." Clint remarked, turning to Valkyrie, "She's apart of the Guardians of the Galaxy, right?"

Nebula didn't acknowledge them, instead lifted her right hand to her mouth and into a communicator stated, "Father. I have the stones."

Pain flashed across Valkyrie's face, "What? Nebula, what are you doing?"

Clint echoed her sentiments, "What?!"

Then Valkyrie nearly had a heart attack as Gamora and another Nebula came around the corner. Her eyes widened, "Nebula, Gamora? What the hell is going on?"

"Stop." Gamora ordered, not even looking Valkyrie's way.

The first Nebula looked at Gamora in horror, "You're betraying us?"

"You don't have to do this." The Nebula by Gamora stated to herself.

The first Nebula shook her head, "I am... this."

"No, you're not." Gamora pleaded.

The second Nebula moved closer to the first Nebula, "You've seen what we become." Valkyrie then realized that the Nebula by Gamora was from 2023 and the Nebula that came in alone was from 2014.

"Nebula, listen to her.' Gamora pleaded.

Nebula from 2023 agreed with Gamora, "You can change."

Nebula shook her head in a panic, "He won't let me."

At this, Nebula from 2014 pulled out her gun on Gamora.

"No!" Valkyrie yelled, determined to keep this Gamora alive. Before she could even pull out her gun, Nebula from 2023 shot her counterpart and she died.

Clint awkwardly picked up the Infinity Gauntlet.

"Gamora." Valkyrie breathed, looking up and down her friend's body, "Are you okay?"

Gamora's eyes widened at the sight of Valkyrie, then narrowed, "Aren't you Rael's daughter? Commander Valkyrie of the Kyln? What are you doing here?"

At that, Valkyrie winced and sighed. Gamora had become a friend over the years together while in the Guardian's of the Galaxy. For her best friend not to recognize her, or to not know anything they had done together… it was hard. But at least she was alive. Alive. Valkyrie breathed out, "A lot of things have happened since 2014, Gamora. For one, we're friends. Best friends, in a matter of fact." Valkyrie could see the hesitation in Gamora's eyes and she quickly continued, "Let's talk after this. I have a lot to catch you up on. I would think that Nebula does too."

Valkyrie nodded at Nebula who nodded back, "Let's go."

* * *

Gamora, Nebula, Clint, and Valkyrie finally made their way topside and stopped at the site. Thanos's entire army had been summoned to the ground. The entire compound had been turned to rubble. Smoke billowed out from the crumpled building.

"My god." Clint stated as the Outriders lined up behind Thanos. Gigantic worm-like ships dropped from the Sanctuary II, "How are we supposed to fight this?"

"We have to try." Gamora stated, "Or else the entire universe is at stake."

It was a stunning and horrifying site. The Children of Thanos, Chitauri, and the Outriders had teamed up for Thanos.

Upon seeing the army descending on Earth, Steve slowly gets back to his feet. With a fierce determination, he tightens his broken shield to his arm and stands against Thanos' giant army seemingly alone.

Suddenly, a crackling comes in on our communicator, "Hey, Cap, you read me?" It was Sam Wilson, the Falcon.

Everyone had returned.

Steve stops and looks around and Sam's voice began again, "Cap, it's Sam. Can you hear me?"

A yellow portal begins to form behind him.

"On your left." Sam stated.

Steve looked behind to see the portal on his left side. Three figures step through; Okoye, Shuri, and Black Panther, fully restored and ready to fight. Steve and the revived Wakandans shared a look when Sam zoomed in from above in his Falcon armor. As he does, Valkyrie looked around and dozens more portals opening up all around the battlefield. Through one of these, Doctor Strange descend in. He is joined by Drax, Mantis, Peter Quill, and Spider-Man.

"Peter!" Valkyrie gasped as she stared at her brother.

Everyone watched in confusion and awe as more and more heroes arrive from all corners of the universe, all backed up with forces of their own including Black Panther and his Wakandan army, Valkyrie from Asgard and the Asgardians, Wong and the Masters of the Mystic Arts and several Ravager ships. The Avengers were also back with Bucky, Groot, the Scarlet Witch, the Wasp, and Pepper Potts (who flew in her own iron suit) arrive. Nearly every hero has magically been transported to the battlefield to face Thanos' hordes.

"Is that everyone?" Doctor Strange asked Wong.

Wong looked miffed, at Strange, "What, you wanted more?"

Scott Lang emerges from the rubble of the Avengers facility in his gigangic form with Professor Hulk, War Machine, and Rocket.

"James!" Valkyrie exclaimed, her worry about her husband fading. The Avengers, Guardians, Wakandans, Asgardians, and Ravagers take up battle positions. The heroes of the galaxy were standing across Thanos' forces.

"AVENGERS!" Steve yelled and he summoned Mjolnir in a dramatic stance, "... assemble."

Thor uttered a battle cry, as does Black Panther and each army charged at each other. Thanos raises his sword towards them, commanding his army to charge as well. Then both sides collide with screams.

* * *

After a while, James had caught up to Valkyrie and they were both fighting side by side, "Everyone's back!" James yelled to Val who, by this point, had discarded her empty guns and had switched to her swords.

"I know!" Val replied, plunging a sword into an Outrider's stomach and wrenched it out.

"Then go find Peter!" James yelled over the fighting.

* * *

It took a couple more minutes of battle, fighting, and screams to find Peter Quill, "Peter!" She called out.

Peter's eyes widened, "Valkyrie! You're okay!"

"I'm okay?" Valkyrie almost yelled, "I spent five years thinking you were dead!"

Peter winced visibly, "Yeah." He got out, "The magician guy told us that much." Star-Lord was Fighting a bunch of Sakaarans, killing all of them except one, which makes him fall over.

"Peter!" Valkyrie yelled but was too busy fighting Sakaarans.

Then a shot kills the Sakaaran and the Sakaaran doped on Peter. Peter pushed it off him with a grunt and gasped as he saw Gamora, "Gamora?" Peter slowly approached Gamora, "I thought I lost you." Peter touched Gamora's hair.

"Wait! They're something you should know!"

Gamora, in response, grabbed Peter's hand firmly off her hair.

"Ow." Peter remarked.

Gamora kicked Peter in the nuts, slightly hurting Peter, "Don't.. touch..." She kicked him again, this time harder, "Me!"

Peter fell from the pain, while Gamora wiped her face.

Peter groaned, "You missed the first time…. Then you got them both the second time."

Gamora looked at Nebula exasperated, "This is the one? Seriously?"

"The choices were him, or a tree." Nebula stated.

Confused, Peter pointed to Gamora in confusion, then to Nebula in question as to how Gamora was alive, and then back to Gamora. Then he looked at Valkyrie, "What the hell!"

Valkyrie smirked, "Explain later. Fight now."

* * *

After a while, Valkyrie had found herself fighting next to Tony Stark and Doctor Strange. Doctor Strange trapped a group of Chitauri in his magic and sent them through portals as Tony joined him.

"Hey. You said one out of 14 million, we win, yeah? Tell me this is it?" Tony asked.

Valkyrie didn't know what Tony meant but thought it probably had to do with Doctor Strang's magic.

"If I tell you what happens, it won't happen." Doctor Strange remarked.

"You better be right." Tony remarked.

"Where's Nebula?" Thanos asked his Children.

Corvus Glaive reported, "She's not responding."

Ebony Maw pointed, "Sire!" Thanos looked to where Ebony Maw pointed and saw the gauntlet. Clint still had the gauntlet and was rushing through Outriders, before finding himself surrounded. He was saved by the Black Panther.

"Clint!" T'Challa called, "Give it to me."

Clint gave T'Challa the Gauntlet to T'Challa, and he ran towards the van while fighting Thanos' army. Eventually, T'Challa was stopped by the double-edged sword, boomeranged by Thanos. When it gets back to him, he charges T'Challa, but was stopped by Wanda, who was filled with anger for the loss of Vision.

"You took _everything_ from me." Wanda yelled, furious.

Thanos tilted his head to the side a bit, "I don't even know who you are."

"You will." Wanda hissed. With her powers, Wanda picked up some debris on the ground and tried to crush Thanos with it.

As Valkyrie fought, she saw the game of Keep-away that the other Avenger's were playing with the Infinity Gauntlet.

This time, Peter Parker, AKA Spider-Man, currently carried it, "I got it!" Just then a group of Outriders jumped Parker, completely covering him, "Activate Instant Kill!"

Thanos yelled, frustrated with the way the battle was going, "Rain fire!"

Corvus Glaive's eyes widened, "But Sire, our troops!"

"Just do it!" Thanos commanded.

Valkyrie scrambled over, fighting her way to Spider-Man.

"Uh, is anyone else seeing this?" Pepper Potts stated in her com's link, meaning Thanos's army.

"I got this. I got this!" Peter yelled, then yelped, "Okay, I don't got this. Help! Somebody, help!"

"I'm coming!" Valkyrie yelled, still trying to fight her way to Parker.

"Hey, Queens. Heads up." Steve called. He threw Mjolnir, and Peter shoots a web and glides along, then Pepper Potts catches him.

"Hang on." Pepper called, "I got you, kid." She dropped him on Valkyrie of Asgard's Pegasus.

"Hey!" Peter yelled, "Nice to meet you- Oh, my God!" The cannons knocked Peter Parker off the Pegasus, then they turned to face something in the sky as all the cannons started shooting at something.

"What the hell is this?" Sam yelled.

"F.R.I.D.A.Y., what are they firing at?" Tony asked F.R.I.D.A.Y.

F.R.I.D.A.Y. responded, "Something just entered the upper atmosphere."

A bright light of thundering energy came surging down as Carol Danvers flew through the Sanctuary II, and it results in an explosion and the ship crash-landing in the lake.

Rocket pumped the sky with his right fist, "Oh, yeah!"

"Go Carol!" Valkyrie yelled.

"Danvers, we need an assist here." Steve commanded.

Carol Danvers landed near Peter, who was on the ground, weirdly hugging the gauntlet with his body.

"Hi. I'm Peter Parker." Peter held out his hand to Carol.

Carol smiled down at Peter, "Hey, Peter Parker. You got something for me?"

Peter got up and passed her the gauntlet, "I don't know how you're gonna get it through all that."

Wanda and Val arrived, Valkyrie of Asgard flew in on her Pegasus as she arrived.

Wanda looked over and remarked, "Don't worry."

Okoye also showed up next to Val, "She's got help."

Pepper Pots landed next to Okoye, followed by Mantis and Shuri, the Wasp, Gamora and Nebula.

Thanos' army charged while the women helped Carol Danvers go through the Outriders and Chitauri. Gamora took out a gorilla, while Okoye takes out Corvus Glaive. Wanda and Valkyrie of Asgard and destroyed two leviathans. Carol Danvers then began to fly towards the van with the Gauntlet, flying past enemies and going through enemy blockades that are in her way with ease.

Thanos, seeing this, started running to Carol Danvers, but is stopped by Pepper, Shuri and The Wasp, who blasted him backward. Thanos, after seeing Carol Danvers fly past him, threw his double sword at the van, destroying it and the quantum realm tunnel, throwing Carol Danvers backward and her grip loosened on the Gauntlet, which fell to the ground. The explosion ripped down the dam that was holding back the water.

Doctor Strange steadied the water after the explosion. In the final brawl for the Stark Gauntlet, Stark moves one of Thanos' enemies aside and saw the Gauntlet. He ran to get it, but saw Thanos, who Tony tackled.

Thanos smacks Tony away, knocking him out. Then Thor arrived with Stormbreaker and Mjolnir to pin Thanos' arm down, with assistance from Captain America. However, Thanos overpowered them and knocked them both out.

After picking up the Gauntlet, Carol Danvers arrived, punching away at Thanos while he was holding the Gauntlet. She kept punching him, but Thanos grabbed her by the arm and flung her away. Thanos put on the gauntlet, gamma radiation from the stones eating at him as he tries to snap, but Carol Danvers rose again, and stopped his fingers from snapping, opening up his hand.

Valkyrie noticed what was going on and fought her way toward Thanos and Carol. Thanos headbutted Carol, but it does nothing. Just as Carol Danvers is gaining the upper hand by rising and forcing Thanos onto his knees, Thanos pulls the Power Stone out of the Gauntlet and uses it in his free hand to hit Carol Danvers away.

Tony looked in question at Doctor Strange, who simply raised one finger.

This was it.

1 out of 14,605.

* * *

 **Posted: 12/26/19**

 **Next Chapter: 12/27/19**


	12. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Thanos put the Power Stone back into the Gauntlet, yelling from the gamma radiation coursing through him, until Tony made one last attack on Thanos, pulling on the Gauntlet before Thanos punched him away.

"I am... inevitable." Thanos uttered. He snapped his fingers, but nothing happened except a metallic 'clink.' He saw the Infinity Stones are missing. Tony had the stones on his own gauntlet, the gamma radiation coursing through him, to Thanos' shock.

"And I... am... Iron Man." Tony snapped his fingers with a loud 'Clang' and a blinding flash of white.

Rocket fired at a Leviathan and before it devoured him, it crumbles into ash. The Black Order starts crumbling to ash. T'Challa and Quill looked around in surprise; Steve looked on in exhaustion, knowing that they have won. Valkyrie stared at Tony in shock. Thanos, in horror, looked around and saw his entire army disintegrate. He looked at Steve, who just stared at him. Thanos sat down and mourned his loss of a victory before slowly erased from existence.

The power of the gauntlet's raw energy has left Tony's entire right side fatally injured. He stumbled for a bit before his body collapsed beside a pile of debris. James soon flew in and went up to Tony to see his long-time colleague and friend fading away. Valkyrie raced over and gasped. James bowed his head, knowing the damage was done. Peter Parker soon swung in and saw Tony collapsed on the ground.

"Mr. Stark?" Peter Parker looked on in horror and ran up to his fallen mentor. Tears start to form in Valkyrie's eyes, "Hey... Mr. Stark? Can you hear me? It's Peter. Hey. We won, Mr. Stark... We won, Mr. Stark. We won. You did it, sir. You did it." Tony is unresponsive. Peter breaks down and hugs him, "I'm sorry... Tony…."

Peter is gently led aside to grieve by Steve. Pepper Potts flew in with her Rescuer suit and sat in front of Tony, "Hey."

Tony was barely able to move his head, but manages to look Pepper in the eyes, "Hey, Pep…." It was barely a whisper and Valkyrie tried and failed to hold back a sob.

Pepper placed her hand on Tony's Arc Reactor and Tony weakly rested his hand on hers. Pepper took a good look at Tony's fatal injuries, "F.R.I.D.A.Y.?" Pepper asked, still hopeful until told otherwise.

"Life functions critical." F.R.I.D.A.Y. replied.

Pepper's hope dissipated. Tony smiled with tears in his eyes, "Tony. Look at me." Peper made sure that Tony got a long look at her smiling face, "We're gonna be okay. You can rest now." With that acknowledgment, Tony's arc reactor flickers off for good. Pepper could no longer contain her grief and starts crying on his shoulder.

Valkyrie held onto James and sobbed into his shoulder. Jame's arms wrapped around her, his arms shaking as they mourned a teammate and a friend.

* * *

 **Tony's Cabin**

"You're married!?" Peter Quill yelped in shock as Valkyrie and James sat around a table in Tony's cabin. It was the day before the funeral, and everyone was catching up with the people who snapped five years ago.

Valkyrie smirked and squeezed Jame's hand. She hadn't moved far from Jame's side since Tony's passing, "Got married about a year and a half ago." Valkyrie said, "In Wakanda."

"You got married!" Peter parroted his earlier statement, trying to understand everything that had happened during the five years he was gone.

Valkyrie laughed for the first time since Tony's death. Everything would be okay.

* * *

It was the day of the funeral. Tony's immediate family and friends were gathered in the living room watching a hologram that Tony had recorded for them in the event of his death. Apparently he had guessed that he wouldn't make it.

"Everybody wants a happy ending, right? But it doesn't always roll that way. Maybe this time. I'm hoping if you play this back, it's in celebration. I hope families are reunited, I hope we get it back, and something like a normal version of the planet has been restored. If there ever was such a thing. God, what a world. Universe, now. If you told me ten years ago that we weren't alone, let alone, you know, to this extent, I mean, I wouldn't have been surprised. But come on, you know? The epic forces of darkness and light that have come into play. And, for better or worse, that's the reality Morgan's gonna have to find a way to grow up in."

Pepper, Morgan, Happy Hogan, James and Valkyrie all watched Tony's holographic message being projected from his Iron Man helmet. Tony had sat down while recording the message. Pepper was hugging Morgan. Happy Hogan sat next to Morgan. James and Valkyrie stood together behind the couch, holding each other.

Tony continued, "So I thought I'd probably better record a little greeting... In the case of an untimely death on my part. I mean, not that, death at any time isn't untimely. This time travel thing that we're gonna try and pull off tomorrow, it's... it's got me scratching my head about the survivability of it all. That's the thing. Then again, that's the hero gig. Part of the journey is the end." Tony suddenly got up and began to walk towards his camera in the helmet, "What am I even trippin' for? Everything's gonna work out exactly the way it's supposed to." Tony leaned down and smiled. His hologram looked straight at Morgan, "I love you 3,000."

The message ended and the hologram cut out.

The funeral possession was led by Pepper Potts who held a wreath followed by Morgan, Happy, James and Valkyrie.

They walked up to the deck and Pepper laid the wreath on the lake. On top of the wreath was Tony's first arc reactor which Pepper had framed with the words 'Proof That Tony Stark Has a Heart' back in 2008.

All the Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy which were Steve Rogers, Peter Parker, May Parker, Thor, Bruce Banner, Doctor Strange, Wong, Scott Lang, Hope Van Dyne, Janet Van Dyne, Hank Pym, Peter Quill, Nebula, Rocket, Groot, Drax, Mantis, T'Challa, Okoye, Shuri, Clint Barton & his family, Wanda Maximoff, Bucky Barnes, Sam Wilson, Harley Keener, Secretary Ross, Maria Hill, Carol Danvers, and Nick Fury, silently watching the wreath float away.

* * *

 **New Asgard, Earth**

It was a couple of days after the funeral for Tony. Everyone was splitting up again. The Guardians, Carol, Nebula, and Thor had planned to go back into space. Valkyrie and James traveled to New Asgard to say their goodbyes. Valkyrie already had told Peter that she had planned to stay on Earth with James.

Thor and Valkyrie were standing on a cliff that overlooked New Asgard.

Valkyrie of Asgard asked, "So, when can we expect you back?"

Sensing the tension, the Guardians, except for Peter, left for the Milano.

Thor shifted, "Um... about that..."

"Thor." Valkyrie eyed his awkwardness and her eyes narrowed, "Your people need a king."

Thor looked seriously at Valkyrie, "No, they already have one."

Valkyrie laughed, "That's funny." Then she realized that it wasn't a joke, "You're being serious?"

Thor nodded his head, "It's time for me to be who I am rather than who I'm supposed to be. But you, you're a leader. That's who you are."

Valkyrie tilted her head, "You know I'd make a lot of changes around here."

"I'm counting on it." Thor stated, "Your Majesty." Thor offered Valkyrie a farewell handshake.

"What will you do?" Valkyrie asked.

Thor shrugged, "I'm not sure. For the first time in a thousand years, I... I have no path. I do have a ride, though." Thor turned and walked to the Milano.

Peter turned to Val and James, "Are you sure you don't want to come with us?"

Valkyrie pressed her lips, "Xandar had been destroyed before the snap. I don't think I could stand to even be near the system." She tensed and looked up at Peter, "Plus, my husband lives on Earth." She nudged James, "I could never leave him."

Peter looked a bit put out, apparently, he had still held up hope that Val had changed her mind. He sighed, "Well, Earth has certainly grown their technology. We can talk at any time now." He went in for a hug and Valkyrie hugged him back tightly.

After a couple of minutes, Val let go. Peter moved to James and clasped their hands together, "Take care of her. And if you hurt her, you will have the Guardian's of the Galaxy to deal with." Peter stated seriously.

Valkyrie sighed. She had hoped that James was done with getting the shovel talk, but it seemed that Peter had to get the last word in.

James looked serious, "If I hurt her, I would be the first person in line to beat myself up."

Val rolled her eyes at the banter, "All right. Don't you have a ship to fly, Peter?"

Peter folded his arms across his chest, "Fine, fine." Peter looked at Valkyrie, "Keep in contact, okay?"

"See you around." Valkyrie stated.

Peter turned around and walked to the Malino. At the beginning of the ramp, Peter paused, turned and waved. Val waved back. Peter turned back to face forward and ascended into the Malino.

Valkyrie hugged James as the Malino's engines roared on and rose up to the sky. She watched as it took off and slowly disappeared into Earth's stratosphere.

Valkyrie sighed and leaned her head onto Jame's shoulder, "Let's go home."

* * *

 **A/N: Well, that's the end of the third and final story for Valkyrie! Thank you all to have read, followed, favorited, and reviewed this story!**


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